Quito, January 2 (teleSUR-RHC)-- The member states of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) condemned U.S. sanctions against Venezuela signed by the Obama administration in December.

In a statement released late December, the regional bloc stated, “the application of the unilateral sanctions included in this bill infringes the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States and do not contribute to stability, social peace and democracy in Venezuela.”

The UNASUR declaration urged the U.S. to desist from actions that negatively affect the political situation in Venezuela.

“Member States of UNASUR urge the Government of the United States to refrain from imposing sanctions that are far from contributing to the political stability in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” read the statement.

The Ecuadorean National Assembly also recently approved an official resolution opposing the U.S. sanctions against Venezuela.

UNASUR is regional bloc comprised of independent states of the South American continent. The organization, founded to promote regional integration and defense of sovereignty recently inaugurated its permanent headquarters in the north of Quito, Ecuador.

The government of Venezuela has expressed its desire to have a better relations with the United States, but those efforts have been stymied by actions by the U.S. government, including the imposition of sanctions.

At the inauguration ceremony held Thursday for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's second term, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden greeted each other warmly and held a brief discussion.