(VOVworld) – The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) has demanded the US repeal an executive order declaring Venezuela as a “threat” to its national security.

ALBA leaders stand for a group photo at their meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 17, 2015. (Photo: Telesur)

In an unusual summit held in Caracas on Tuesday, the presidents and representatives of the 12-nation bloc issued a joint statement criticising the executive order, describing it as a violation of sovereignty and an intervention into another nation’s internal affairs.
The statement says that the US and Venezuela need to resolve disagreements through dialogue, and that the unwillingness of the US would only provoke Venezuela’s opposition forces to use violence. The ALBA nations called on the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to continue their support for the Venezuelan government. They also showed their support for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Argentinean Cristina Fernández in the face of protests aimed against their governments.