Venezuela allies line up with Maduro on faceoff with US
Mar 17, 8:25 PM EDT
Venezuela allies line up with Maduro on faceoff with US
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ
Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Leftist allies of Venezuela rallied behind embattled President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday in his faceoff with the U.S. government, which he has accused of trying to oust his socialist administration.
In an emergency meeting of the ALBA bloc of regional governments, representatives from 12 nations decried what they called attempts by Washington to undermine Maduro with its recent decision to sanction Venezuelan officials accused of violating human rights during anti-government protesters last year.
By far the strongest defense came from Cuban President Raul Castro, whose government is negotiating for the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the U.S. after more than a half century of Cold War frictions.
"The U.S. needs to understand once and for all that it can't seduce or buy Cuba, just as it can't intimidate Venezuela," Castro said. "Our unity is indestructible."
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