S. American, Arab nations condemn attempt to control Venezuela’s resources

BUENOS AIRES, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) — South American and Arab countries on
Thursday condemned the attempt of any superpower or country to control
Venezuela or any other South American country's resources.

In a statement issued at the end of a two-day meeting in the Argentine
capital which drew foreign ministers from over 30 South American and Arabian
countries, the participants said countries, while abiding to the UN charter and
the international law principles, have "the sovereign rights to exploit
their resources under their own laws and their own development policies."

The statement is regarded as a condemnation to the United States as
Venezuela has accused Washington of attempting to overtake Venezuela's oil
resources by such oil giants as the ExxonMobil.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said at the meeting that Exxon
Mobil, the largest U.S. oil company, went so far as it even registered
Venezuela's oil assets as belongings to Exxon Mobile.

Exxon Mobil recently won court orders in Britain, the Netherlands and the
United States on freezing assets worthy of some 12 billion U.S. dollars owned
by Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA in a battle for
compensation over the loss of a project in Venezuela's drive to nationalize its
energy sector.

Maduro thanked these
South American and Arab countries for their support and said the
Venezuela-Exxon dispute is more political than legal.