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Alba Summit in Cuba condemns U.S.
sanctions of Venezuela
Cuban President Raúl closed the Bolivarian Alliance
for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade
Agreement Summit, today December 14, the tenth
anniversary of the founding of the alliance
initiated by Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro. The bloc
also strongly condemned sanctions imposed by the
U.S. on Venezuela.
The 11 Alba-TCP leaders agreed to "energetically
condemn U.S. Congressional approval of sanctions on
the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," in a
declaration read by Venezuelan President Nicolás
Maduro.
The bloc also expressed support for efforts being
made by the Maduro government "to preserve the vast
legacy of Comandante Hugo Chávez," to maintain peace
and confront efforts to destabilize the country.
Alba "once again demanded that the United States
government change its policies toward the sister
Republic of Cuba," including an immediate end to the
economic blockade imposed on the country for more
than 50 years," and the removal of Cuba from "the
spurious and arbitrary list of state sponsors of
international terrorism."
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez read to the
plenary a message from Russian President Vladimir
Putin, who congratulated Alba, and expressed his
interest in "continuing to extend" ties with Latin
America.
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