United Nations, February 15 (RHC)-- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has announced that a number of countries have decided to form a diplomatic team at the United Nations to defend human rights and the fundamental charter of the international organization.

"We are beginning a collective work in all instances and agencies of the United Nations.  We are going to organize a strategy not only for the defense of Venezuela, but also for the defense of the principles of the United Nations," said Arreaza, accompanied by delegations from Palestine, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, China, Cuba and Syria.

After reading several principles of the U.N. Charter, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister reported the violation of its own regulations by the United States.

The U.N. Charter principles, defend, among others, the principle to respect equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;  the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members, the settlement of  international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered. 

The Charter also encourages member states to refrain in international relations from the threat or use of force against a State, respect the territorial integrity or political independence of any States, and Non-intervention in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state.

The Venezuelan foreign minister emphasized that the countries present at the United Nations are organizing to defend the rights of sovereign peoples and create nations at peace.  "We call on all the member states of the UN to unite before the defense of international law as the only guarantee of peaceful coexistence for humankind," he added.

"We are a sovereign country, we are going to protect our people in spite of all the threats.  We must ask the media not to be part of bloodshed in Venezuela," Arreaza said, urging media outlets who have joined the interventionist campaign on the nation to cease their rhetoric.

He also stressed that "the United States has no moral standing to impose sanctions on anyone, only the resolutions of international organizations such as the U.N. are legal and will be recognized by the member states.  Otherwise, they are unilateral actions."