Foreign ministers from the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) have censured the United States for escalation of sanctions against Venezuela.
The announcement came after UNASUR Secretary-General Ernesto Samper met foreign ministers Mauro Viera of Brazil, Delcy Rodriguez of Venezuela, and Ricardo Patiño of Ecuador on Monday in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo.
On February 2, the US State Department imposed visa restrictions and financial sanctions on several Venezuelan officials it accuses of human rights violations.
Patiño told reporters that the meeting focused on impacts of the bans on regional peace.
“The measures to be implemented warrant an immediate reaction from UNASUR and that is why we met and we hope our actions will promote peace, concord and dialogue, and not just among the UNASUR members, but also to prevent countries outside the region from disturbing peace and stability in our countries,” he added.
The participants also agreed to make efforts for the establishment of a direct dialogue between Caracas and Washington.
A few days before the meeting, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had called on UNASUR as well as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (CELAC) to protect Caracas against “aggression, threats, and statements” by US President Barack Obama, saying they “go against coexistence and respect.”
Samper underlined at the time that all UNASUR members would unanimously reject any attempt to destabilize a member state.
The new bans came less than two months after Washington revoked visas and froze assets of Venezuelan officials deemed responsible by the US for violence and human rights violations following anti-government protests early last year, during which some 40 people died.
Caracas has repeatedly stated that the opposition seeks to launch a coup d’état in the South American country with the backing of Washington.
