NAM Backs Venezuela against US Sanctions

The group of 120 nations issued a statement denouncing the sanctions as an intervention into Venezuelan affairs.

The 120-nation body, which is holding its summit in Isla Margarita near Caracas from Sept 13 to 18 described the sanctions as "intended to undermine Venezuela's sovereignty, its political independence and its right to self-determination."

The US government announced a new set of sanctions last week which target former and current Venezuelan officials, Bernama reported.

The US has justified various rounds of sanctions by claiming corruption and that human rights abuses occurred in the oil-rich county during a wave of opposition violence last year that left 43 dead.

However, the Venezuelan government has pointed out the sanctions are politically motivated and that they form part of US plans to oust the country's elected government, given that the overwhelming majority of the 43 fatalities were caused by right-wing extremists.

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) considers the unilateral sanctions a "violation of international law, including the United Nations Charter and the basic principles of international law of relations between states." Furthermore, the group of nations considered the measure "coercive" and manifested its solidarity with the Venezuelan people and their government.

The UNASUR group of South American nations also rejected the sanctions and will launch a probe to evaluate Venezuela's evidence of US meddling in the country's internal affairs.