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ALBA states condemn EU’s sanctions against Venezuela as interference in internal affairs

Earlier the EU extended sanctions against Venezuelan officials, adding 18 more people to the sanctions list

HAVANA, February 24. /TASS/. Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) member states believe that EU sanctions against Venezuelan officials are an interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs and violate the principle of self-determination.

"These actions constitute a flagrant violation of the international law and an unacceptable interference, which does not aid the development of the Venezuelan people in any way," the association said in a statement Tuesday. "The ALBA states express their solidarity and support to the Venezuelan state, devoted to peace, and urge the international community to reject such [EU’s] actions and defend the principles of sovereignty, self-determination and independence of peoples."

The ALBA is a trade association of Latin American and Caribbean countries, established in 2004 on the initiative of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban leader Fidel Castro. It currently includes 10 countries: Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Commonwealth of Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, and St. Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Earlier on Monday, the EU extended sanctions against Venezuelan officials, adding 18 more people to the sanctions list, including National electoral council Chairman and Deputy Chairman, head of the Armed Forces’ Strategic Operational Command, lawmakers and judges. The sanctions list currently includes 55 persons.

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