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Venezuelan troops blocked the bridge at the border crossing with Colombia ahead of an expected humanitarian aid delivery from the US, arranged by US-proclaimed Interim President Juan Guaido.
The Venezuelan people desperately need humanitarian aid. The U.S. & other countries are trying to help, but #Venezuela’s military under Maduro's orders is blocking aid with trucks and shipping tankers. The Maduro regime must LET THE AID REACH THE STARVING PEOPLE. #EstamosUnidosVE pic.twitter.com/L4ysYJaM6H
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 6, 2019
The Guardian also published a video of the blockade:
“’We have been threatened by the US empire,’ said Venezuela’s embattled president Nicolás Maduro. But the aid blockade could lead to troops disobeying Maduro’s orders and allowing the much-needed aid to pass. International pressure is growing on Maduro to step down after major EU nations this week joined the US, Canada and some Latin American countries in recognising Guaidó as the country’s legitimate leader,” the outlet reported.
The blocked border crossing is Cucuta. It is one of three collection points for international humanitarian aid called for by Venezuela’s opposition leader and self-declared president Juan Guaido amid Venezuela’s debilitating economic crisis.
Earlier, Guaido identified the three collection points: the Brazil-Venezuela border, an as-of-yet unidentified Caribbean island, and Cucuta.
Maduro rejected the international aid, saying, “We are not beggars.”
Once again US National Security Adviser John Bolton accused “Maduro and his cronies” of “living lavishly in Europe,” while also blaming Cuba for the crisis.
Maduro and his cronies live lavishly in Europe and enrich their Cuban patrons while plundering Venezuela’s wealth. Meanwhile, they are physically blocking the Venezuelan people, including the military rank and file, from receiving humanitarian assistance. https://t.co/mrnALvUGR5
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 6, 2019
On February 6th, John Bolton met with Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo at The White House, discussing how to deliver aid to Venezuela.
Met with Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo at The White House today. We discussed pressing issues, including joint efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the Venezuelan people, as well as counter-terrorism collaboration. White House Photo by Keegan Barber. pic.twitter.com/bHrLcuZtG0
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 6, 2019
Juan Caicedo, a spokesperson from Migration Colombia, Colombia’s Ministry of Immigration and Immigration Control, said the Venezuelan military put the blockade into place on February 5th, adding that there are cameras monitoring activity on the bridge.
It should be noted that there are concerns that the passage of humanitarian aid may be used as a cover for US troops to enter Venezuela.
On February 6th, Guaido was cited once again calling on the Venezuelan Military to join the opposition’s side. To permit aid into the country from neighboring Colombia, which is run by a right-wing government critical of Maduro.
“Brother, let the aid in. Do not stop it,” he said, appealing to members of the country’s armed forces while speaking at a meeting with farmers in Caracas. “The end of the usurpation will be the end of hunger,” he said, and called on Venezuelans to reject the Maduro government.
There appears to be a sort of change in rhetoric. On February 5th, Juan Guaido, in contrast to everything the US and him have said in the previous days and weeks, said that the “route was clear from the beginning.”
He requested three things: 1) An end to usurpation; 2) A transitional government; 3) Free elections.
La ruta está clara desde el inicio y es en la que nos mantenemos trabajando todos los días:
1) Cese a la usurpación.
2) Gobierno de transición.
3) Elecciones Libres.Sin confusiones y sin descanso.
El compromiso con Venezuela y el mundo es total. pic.twitter.com/c3ucWFTITL— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) February 6, 2019
John Bolton also reinforced Guaido’s words. In a tweet in the early hours of February 7th he said that the US and Germany are pressing for the US-proclaimed Interim President to hold new elections.
As @HeikoMaas said, the US and Germany continue to press for @jguaido to be in a position to hold new elections. https://t.co/YV3eLk3Zpa
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 7, 2019
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