title: The Bolivarian Dream: ALBA and the Cuba-Venezuela Alliance
abstract: This thesis seeks to answer why the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) has failed to achieve its two major goals: to create a socialist alternative to neoliberalism and foster mutual cooperation among the members. Important constructivist works from Nicolas Onuf and Alexander Wendt were used throughout. Emphasis is given to the debate between social construction and material reality that has hindered ALBA’s goals. Three reasons led to why ALBA could not achieve its two maj