President Maduro Arrives for Non-Aligned Movement in Azerbaijan

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived Thursday in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to participate in the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which kicks off today and Friday. 

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Upon arriving, President Maduro said that “Venezuela is standing, victorious and has the support of 120 countries that make up the NAM.” 

The countries of the bloc have previously held summits in Venezuela, where they backed the Bolivarian government against U.S. sanctions and attacks. 

President Maduro also stated that the NAM must clearly state it’s principles of independence, sovereignty and the integral development of member countries.

Venezuela assumed the presidency of the movement in September 2016, from the Iranian president Hassan Rouhani during the XVII Summit  held on the island of Margarita. 

At the last NAM conference in September, the meeting resolved to form a working group to study the effects of sanctions on the Venezuelan people. 

The Non-Aligned Movement was formally established in 1961 after initial talks to form the organization began six years earlier at the African-Asia Conference.

It was founded by member states "during the collapse of the colonial system and the rise of independence struggles across Africa, Asia, and Latin America" during the Cold War. The main motto of the movement was to not ally with any of the world's superpowers.