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<h1 class="title">UNASUR Rejects US Aggressions on Venezuela</h1>
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3/16/2015<br>
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<p class="byline"> By <span class="author">TeleSur English </span>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">Venezuela received strong backing
from the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Saturday
afternoon, at an emergency summit addressing the recent
aggressions from US President Barack Obama.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Obama had signed an executive order
earlier in the week declaring Venezuela an<a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Obama-Declares-Venezuela-a-Threat-to-National-Security-20150309-0011.html">“extraordinary
threat to national security.”</a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">At a press conference following the
meeting of the foreign ministers, UNASUR Secretary General Ernesto
Samper read out a statement that said, “The member states of
UNASUR reject the executive order approved by the United States
government which declares Venezuela a threat to national
security.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The statement describes the
executive order as an “interference” and a “threat to sovereignty
and to the principle of non-intervention.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">"We call upon the United States to
evaluate and implement dialogue as an alternative,” adds the
statement</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“The UNASUR member States believe
the internal situation in Venezuela shall be resolved through the
democratic mechanisms established in the Venezuelan Constitution”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">As a result the 12 nation
body called for the “derogation of the Executive Order.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In an exclusive interview with
teleSUR after the statement was released, Venezuelan Foreign
Minister Delcy Rodriguez said that “UNASUR has stood firm against
imperialism,” and that the meeting was “aware of the seriousness”
of the threat “not only for Venezuela but for the whole region”.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Referring to the UNASUR statement
Minister Rodriguez said that "we know Venezuela is not alone"
which she explained was important as "if there were to be an
intervention on Venezuela, we wouldn't know when it would move
beyond our borders"</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">She added that “UNASUR ratified the
principle of unity, of independence...this meeting was marked by
the Latin American spirit of liberty” and that despite any
differences between the bloc’s 12 nations “we can agree on the
biggest issues.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Minister Rodriguez described the
Executive Order, signed by President Obama as a reflection of a “a
political class that does not believe in the principles of
international law.” Addressing the claim that Venezuela represents
a threat to the United States and carries out human rights abuses,
as Obama claimed, the Foreign Minister added that "we see
terrible racial discrimination cases (in the U.S.) ... hundreds of
human rights violations" and that the U.S. hasn't ratified key
international treaties on gender equality or childrens' rights”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">She explained that Venezuela seeks
an “equal dialogue with the U.S. government."</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Earlier UNASUR Secretary General
Ernesto Samper had explained that the bloc's aim is to preserve
peace and democracy in Latin America.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“The main principles that gave birth
to UNASUR were the preservation of this region as a peace zone,
the reinforcement of democracy and the guarantee of human rights …
those are the three points in which we are and will continue to
work on,” he explained.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In recent days, many regional
leaders – such as Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, Bolivian
President Evo Morales, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and
Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez – have rejected and
criticized the measure taken by the U.S. government.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Social movements from across the
region have also expressed solidarity with the people and the
government of Venezuela. Even the main group of opposition parties
in Venezuela rejected the claims that Venezuela posed a threat.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>UNASUR Statement
(Unofficial translation)</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>The member States of the Union
of South American Nations (UNASUR) manifest their rejection of
the Executive Order issued on March 9, 2015 by the government of
the United States of America, for it constitutes a threat of
interference against sovereignty and the principle of
non-intervention in other States' affairs.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>The UNASUR Member States ratify
their commitment with the application of International Law,
Peaceful Resolution of Disputes and the principle of
Non-Intervention, and calls upon governments to withhold the use
of coercive unilateral measures that violate international law.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>UNASUR reiterates its request to
the United States' government to evaluate and implement dialogue
with Venezuela as an alternative, under the basis of respecting
sovereignty and self-determination of the people. Consequently,
we request the derogation of the Executive Order.</em></p>
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