By Ben Zissimos

Venezuela stands close to the brink of another revolution. Acute shortages of food and medicine, along with quintuple-digit inflation, has led to an economic crisis.

With a large amount of much-needed humanitarian aid being held at Venezuela’s borders with Colombia and Brazil, things could turn very violent (some skirmishes have already taken place). The aid has been sent by the US and other international supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Together they brand President Nicolás Maduro a dictator, believing that he rigged his election in May 2018, and demand that he now stand down and restore democracy. But the army, so far, remains loyal to Maduro and troops have barricaded the border crossings to prevent aid from entering – something Maduro fears is a prelude to US invasion.

In applying my research to the situation in Venezuela, it’s clear that things could soon come to a head. My research shows how dictators can manipulate their trade policies to bolster their political survival, foreclosing democratisation in this process. Using an economic model, I strip these types of situations down to a few essential ingredients, simplifying an extremely complex set of circumstances to facilitate deeper insight into how they work. Using my model to think about Venezuela’s situation, we can see precisely the role that the world’s powerful countries play through their sanctions and aid in shaping Venezuela’s prospects for democracy. 
 
Keeping people happy

The basic logic of my model is that the Maduro regime, even as a dictatorship, has to keep the population happy just like any other political regime. After all, while democratic regimes worry about losing power at the ballot box, dictators fear revolution.

The model assumes that people have a sense of how life will be if they overthrew the Maduro regime, through a revolution, paving the way to democracy. Revolution is of course extremely costly and dangerous. But if life becomes so tough for ordinary people that they ultimately feel revolution is worth the costs, then Maduro has the threat of revolution on his hands.

Maduro’s options in the face of the threat of revolution include repression – something he has already experimented with. But, from his perspective, repressing his own people is extremely costly politically. It is also risky, especially when this entails turning against his own support base.

Plus, many members of the military are unwilling to turn their weapons on their own people. This elevates the danger that military repression will ultimately backfire and lead to Maduro’s downfall. More than 100 soldiers are said to have defected during the clashes over aid deliveries.

A better option for Maduro than military repression would be to try and improve the welfare of ordinary people, making them more prepared to live with the status quo of his rule and less inclined to spark a revolution. Adopting this approach is in line with Maduro’s claims that there isn’t any crisis in the country. This is where Venezuela’s vast oil reserves could help him.

One of the insights one gains from viewing this situation through the lens of my model is that dictators can stay in power by using commodities like oil to import food and hence placate the populace. Venezuela’s ability to produce oil has been badly curtailed by the economic chaos engulfing the country, but the oil it does still produce could help Maduro shore up his survival.

This is where international economic policy becomes critical. The EU and US have levied sanctions on Venezuela’s exports, which means they have committed not to buy Venezuela’s oil. This, in turn, hinders the regime’s ability to use its oil to buy the food that Maduro needs. Having food to offer to his population is what stands between Maduro and the threat of a full-blown revolution.

Seen through my model, the explicit purpose of sanctions is to deny Maduro that lifeline, pushing Venezuela to the brink of a revolution. Of course, China and Russia’s support for Venezuela works in precisely the opposite direction, turning Maduro’s survival into a tug of war between the world’s major powers.

Uncomfortable truths

The uncomfortable truth is that, although the purpose of sanctions is to put pressure on the Maduro regime, this glosses over an important aspect of how the pressure works. It works by pushing the Venezuelan people to the point of desperation where they are prepared to risk everything in a revolution rather than live with the status quo.

Yet a second uncomfortable truth arguably outweighs the first. Failing to push the Venezuelan people to the brink of revolution will probably lead to a longer period under the Maduro dictatorship, delaying democratisation in Venezuela and entrenching the current misery.

At first sight, US food aid seems to undermine the above rationale. If food is Maduro’s lifeline, and if the purpose of sanctions is to destabilise the Maduro regime by depriving it of food, why send food aid?

I don’t think there was ever any expectation that the Maduro regime would accept the aid. Its purpose was to draw Venezuelan troops to the Colombian border, away from the capital city Caracas, and that is exactly what it has done. This further reduces Maduro’s ability to use the military to repress an uprising in the capital Caracas, further heightening the risk of revolution. It also increases the Venezuelan people’s temptation to overthrow the Maduro regime, because then they could gain access to the food aid immediately.

Another revolution is neither inevitable nor desirable. But, in my view and following the logic of the model I have developed, Venezuela has to get to the brink of revolution before it has any hope of finding the path back to meaningful democracy.

(Ben Zissimos is Associate Professor of Economics, University of Exeter)

(This article was originally published on the Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/maduro-has-pushed-venezuela-to-the-brink-of-revolution-sanctions-and-aid-may-tip-it-over-the-edge-112324">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
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By Ben Zissimos Venezuela stands close to the brink of another revolution. Acute shortages of food and medicine, along with quintuple-digit inflation, has led to an economic crisis.

By Ben Zissimos Venezuela stands close to the brink of another revolution. Acute shortages of food and medicine, along with quintuple-digit inflation, has led to an economic crisis. With a large amount of much-needed humanitarian aid being held at Venezuela’s borders with Colombia and Brazil, things could turn very violent (some skirmishes have already taken place). The aid has been sent by the US and other international supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Together they brand President Nicolás Maduro a dictator, believing that he rigged his election in May 2018, and demand that he now stand down and restore democracy. But the army, so far, remains loyal to Maduro and troops have barricaded the border crossings to prevent aid from entering – something Maduro fears is a prelude to US invasion. In applying my research to the situation in Venezuela, it’s clear that things could soon come to a head. My research shows how dictators can manipulate their trade policies to bolster their political survival, foreclosing democratisation in this process. Using an economic model, I strip these types of situations down to a few essential ingredients, simplifying an extremely complex set of circumstances to facilitate deeper insight into how they work. Using my model to think about Venezuela’s situation, we can see precisely the role that the world’s powerful countries play through their sanctions and aid in shaping Venezuela’s prospects for democracy. Keeping people happy The basic logic of my model is that the Maduro regime, even as a dictatorship, has to keep the population happy just like any other political regime. After all, while democratic regimes worry about losing power at the ballot box, dictators fear revolution. The model assumes that people have a sense of how life will be if they overthrew the Maduro regime, through a revolution, paving the way to democracy. Revolution is of course extremely costly and dangerous. But if life becomes so tough for ordinary people that they ultimately feel revolution is worth the costs, then Maduro has the threat of revolution on his hands. Maduro’s options in the face of the threat of revolution include repression – something he has already experimented with. But, from his perspective, repressing his own people is extremely costly politically. It is also risky, especially when this entails turning against his own support base. Plus, many members of the military are unwilling to turn their weapons on their own people. This elevates the danger that military repression will ultimately backfire and lead to Maduro’s downfall. More than 100 soldiers are said to have defected during the clashes over aid deliveries. A better option for Maduro than military repression would be to try and improve the welfare of ordinary people, making them more prepared to live with the status quo of his rule and less inclined to spark a revolution. Adopting this approach is in line with Maduro’s claims that there isn’t any crisis in the country. This is where Venezuela’s vast oil reserves could help him. One of the insights one gains from viewing this situation through the lens of my model is that dictators can stay in power by using commodities like oil to import food and hence placate the populace. Venezuela’s ability to produce oil has been badly curtailed by the economic chaos engulfing the country, but the oil it does still produce could help Maduro shore up his survival. This is where international economic policy becomes critical. The EU and US have levied sanctions on Venezuela’s exports, which means they have committed not to buy Venezuela’s oil. This, in turn, hinders the regime’s ability to use its oil to buy the food that Maduro needs. Having food to offer to his population is what stands between Maduro and the threat of a full-blown revolution. Seen through my model, the explicit purpose of sanctions is to deny Maduro that lifeline, pushing Venezuela to the brink of a revolution. Of course, China and Russia’s support for Venezuela works in precisely the opposite direction, turning Maduro’s survival into a tug of war between the world’s major powers. Uncomfortable truths The uncomfortable truth is that, although the purpose of sanctions is to put pressure on the Maduro regime, this glosses over an important aspect of how the pressure works. It works by pushing the Venezuelan people to the point of desperation where they are prepared to risk everything in a revolution rather than live with the status quo. Yet a second uncomfortable truth arguably outweighs the first. Failing to push the Venezuelan people to the brink of revolution will probably lead to a longer period under the Maduro dictatorship, delaying democratisation in Venezuela and entrenching the current misery. At first sight, US food aid seems to undermine the above rationale. If food is Maduro’s lifeline, and if the purpose of sanctions is to destabilise the Maduro regime by depriving it of food, why send food aid? I don’t think there was ever any expectation that the Maduro regime would accept the aid. Its purpose was to draw Venezuelan troops to the Colombian border, away from the capital city Caracas, and that is exactly what it has done. This further reduces Maduro’s ability to use the military to repress an uprising in the capital Caracas, further heightening the risk of revolution. It also increases the Venezuelan people’s temptation to overthrow the Maduro regime, because then they could gain access to the food aid immediately. Another revolution is neither inevitable nor desirable. But, in my view and following the logic of the model I have developed, Venezuela has to get to the brink of revolution before it has any hope of finding the path back to meaningful democracy. (Ben Zissimos is Associate Professor of Economics, University of Exeter) (This article was originally published on the Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Venezuela stands close to the brink of another revolution

The United States imposed sanctions Monday on the governors of four Venezuelan states aligned with embattled President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-confident-maduros-days-are-numbered-in-venezuela-199411">Nicolas Maduro</a> for standing in the way of humanitarian aid shipments.

The action came after a weekend of bloody clashes on the Venezuelan border as security forces beat back attempts by supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido to bring in US-donated supplies of food and medicine.

Four people were killed and hundreds injured in the border violence.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelas-guaido-meets-with-foreign-allies-for-anti-maduro-strategy-199636">Venezuela's Guaido meets with foreign allies for anti-Maduro strategy</a>

"The illegitimate Maduro regime’s attempts to blockade international aid intended for the Venezuelan people are shameful," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.

"Treasury is targeting four state governors aligned with former President Maduro for standing in the way of severely needed humanitarian assistance and prolonging the suffering of the Venezuelan people," he said in a statement.

Mnuchinsaid Washington "fully supports" Guaido and his efforts "to address the endemic corruption, human rights abuses, and violent repression that has become the hallmark of the illegitimate Maduro regime."

Venezuela is wracked by a humanitarian crisis following years of recession and hyperinflation that have left shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine.

Guaido says 300,000 people face death if those supplies aren't brought in urgently but Maduro refuses to let it enter, claiming it would be a smokescreen to a US invasion.

The latest sanctions come as the Lima Group is meeting in Bogota to find a way to facilitate delivery of the aid, and find a way to deal with the crisis.

Under the sanctions, Treasury will seize any US property owned by the governors and prohibit anyone using the US financial system from having business dealings with them.

The targeted governors include Omar Jose Prieto Fernandez, who leads Zulia state, where much of the nation's petroleum industry is based, and Jorge Luis Garcia Carneiro, head of Vargas state, adjacent to Caracas, where the nation's main airport is located. 
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The United States imposed sanctions Monday on the governors of four Venezuelan states aligned with embattled President Nicolas Maduro for standing in the way of humanitarian aid shipments.

The United States imposed sanctions Monday on the governors of four Venezuelan states aligned with embattled President Nicolas Maduro for standing in the way of humanitarian aid shipments. The action came after a weekend of bloody clashes on the Venezuelan border as security forces beat back attempts by supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido to bring in US-donated supplies of food and medicine. Four people were killed and hundreds injured in the border violence. Also read: Venezuela's Guaido meets with foreign allies for anti-Maduro strategy "The illegitimate Maduro regime’s attempts to blockade international aid intended for the Venezuelan people are shameful," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. "Treasury is targeting four state governors aligned with former President Maduro for standing in the way of severely needed humanitarian assistance and prolonging the suffering of the Venezuelan people," he said in a statement. Mnuchinsaid Washington "fully supports" Guaido and his efforts "to address the endemic corruption, human rights abuses, and violent repression that has become the hallmark of the illegitimate Maduro regime." Venezuela is wracked by a humanitarian crisis following years of recession and hyperinflation that have left shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine. Guaido says 300,000 people face death if those supplies aren't brought in urgently but Maduro refuses to let it enter, claiming it would be a smokescreen to a US invasion. The latest sanctions come as the Lima Group is meeting in Bogota to find a way to facilitate delivery of the aid, and find a way to deal with the crisis. Under the sanctions, Treasury will seize any US property owned by the governors and prohibit anyone using the US financial system from having business dealings with them. The targeted governors include Omar Jose Prieto Fernandez, who leads Zulia state, where much of the nation's petroleum industry is based, and Jorge Luis Garcia Carneiro, head of Vargas state, adjacent to Caracas, where the nation's main airport is located.

US imposes sanctions on Venezuelan governors supporting Nicolas Maduro

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed confidence Sunday that embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's "days are numbered," amid a violent impasse over humanitarian aid.

"Predictions are difficult. Picking exact days is difficult," Pompeo said on CNN's "State of the Union." "I'm confident that the Venezuelan people will ensure that Maduro's days are numbered."

Pompeo's remarks came a day after a US-supported, opposition-led effort to bring humanitarian supplies into the country was repelled by Venezuelan border troops firing tear gas and rubber bullets.

Maduro, vowing to "never bow down" at a rally in Caracas, severed relations with neighbouring Colombia for supporting the opposition bid.

Pompeo blamed armed Maduro loyalists known as "collectivos" for most of the violence at border crossings.

"We hope the military will take that role back in protecting their citizens from these tragedies. If that happens, I think good things will happen," he said.

The military command has pledged absolute loyalty to Maduro, although some officers and soldiers have deserted, heeding opposition appeals that they switch sides.

Pompeo said the United States, which recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president, remains committed to bringing in aid.

"We're aimed at a singular mission -- ensuring the Venezuelan people get the democracy they so richly deserve and the Cubans and the Russians who have been driving this country into the ground for years and years and years no longer hold sway," he said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed confidence Sunday that embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's "days are numbered," amid a violent impasse over humanitarian aid.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed confidence Sunday that embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's "days are numbered," amid a violent impasse over humanitarian aid. "Predictions are difficult. Picking exact days is difficult," Pompeo said on CNN's "State of the Union." "I'm confident that the Venezuelan people will ensure that Maduro's days are numbered." Pompeo's remarks came a day after a US-supported, opposition-led effort to bring humanitarian supplies into the country was repelled by Venezuelan border troops firing tear gas and rubber bullets. Maduro, vowing to "never bow down" at a rally in Caracas, severed relations with neighbouring Colombia for supporting the opposition bid. Pompeo blamed armed Maduro loyalists known as "collectivos" for most of the violence at border crossings. "We hope the military will take that role back in protecting their citizens from these tragedies. If that happens, I think good things will happen," he said. The military command has pledged absolute loyalty to Maduro, although some officers and soldiers have deserted, heeding opposition appeals that they switch sides. Pompeo said the United States, which recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president, remains committed to bringing in aid. "We're aimed at a singular mission -- ensuring the Venezuelan people get the democracy they so richly deserve and the Cubans and the Russians who have been driving this country into the ground for years and years and years no longer hold sway," he said.

US Secretary of State Pompeo confident Maduro's 'days are numbered' in Venezuela amid violent impasse

Venezuelan opposition leader <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/as-4-people-die-in-venezuela-border-clashes-juan-guaido-proposes-to-consider-all-options-to-oust-maduro-199344">Juan Guaido</a> is meeting with members of a multinational support group in Bogota Monday to hammer out a strategy to remove his rival Nicolas Maduro from office.

The trip comes after two people were killed and hundreds wounded as Guaido supporters clashed with Venezuelan security forces in a failed attempt to cross in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-aid-boat-reaches-curacao-after-reported-standoff-199458">truckloads of humanitarian aid from Colombia and Brazil</a>.

The European Union condemned Venezuela's use of violence and armed civilians to block the aid entry, while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "shocked and saddened" by the civilian deaths.

Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela's National Assembly, declared himself acting president in January after the opposition-controlled legislature concluded that Maduro was fraudulently re-elected.

Some 50 countries recognise him as Venezuela's legitimate president.

Maduro's 'days numbered'

Guaido flew to the Colombian capital Sunday for the meeting with members of the Lima Group - 13 Latin American countries plus Canada that are seeking to resolve Venezuela's political impasse.

Vice President Mike Pence will represent Washington at the event.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was confident that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-confident-maduros-days-are-numbered-in-venezuela-199411">"Maduro's days are numbered,"</a> blaming the border violence on armed civilian loyalists known as "colectivos."

"We're aimed at a singular mission -- ensuring the Venezuelan people get the democracy they so richly deserve," Pompeo said on CNN's "State of the Union."

President Donald Trump has said the United States is not ruling out armed action.&nbsp;

Upon landing in Bogota Guaido called on the international community to consider "all measures to free" Venezuela.

This is the first time that the Lima Group, which first met in the Peruvian capital in 2017, will speak directly to Guaido.

Venezuela is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis that has seen poverty soar during a prolonged recession and hyperinflation.

Humanitarian aid, much of it from the United States, has been at the centre of the standoff between Maduro and Guaido.

Maduro claims the aid is a smokescreen for a US invasion and has ordered several crossings on Venezuela's borders with Colombia and Brazil closed.

'Victory consolidated'

"Today we consolidated yesterday's victory, tomorrow we'll consolidate it even more," Maduro's right-hand man Diosdado Cabello said Sunday at a pro-government rally in the border town of Tachira.

"Not a single one of those trucks with aid got through," Cabello said.

Maduro seems to have won this round in the power struggle, even though 156 members of Venezuela's security forces deserted to Colombia or Brazil.

After Saturday's events it is "not very clear" that Guaido has "massive" support in Venezuela, analyst Rafael Pineros told AFP.

However, the events, which also led to increased repression by the Maduro regime, may instead result in a forceful foreign intervention in Venezuela, according to political scientist Laura Gil.

"In the Lima Group the consensus is that Maduro must be removed, but there is no consensus on how to do that," Gil told AFP.

Another winner is Washington, because the only way to justify a use of force, if they are willing to actually do that, "is by invitation," she said.

'No food' in the barracks

Colombian President Ivan Duque visited the two border crossing points where most of the violence took place on Saturday.

A 14-year-old boy was among those killed Saturday near the Brazilian border in clashes with Venezuelan security forces. More than 300 people were injured in a day of disturbances at crossings on the Colombian and Brazilian borders.

Sporadic clashes between hooded protesters and police, supported by terror-spreading armed civilian "colectivos," continued Sunday on the Venezuelan side of the border, but were not as intense as the day before.

Scores of Venezuelans who managed to slip across the border to get aid were trapped there as Venezuelan authorities had closed the border.

Nicolasa Gil, a frail 71-year-old who spent the night in Cucuta near one of the crossing points, said she was "scared to cross into my country.

"Here we're safer than over there," she told AFP.

The attempt to cross aid stockpiled in Colombia led Maduro to sever ties with Bogota - and on Sunday, a group of Colombian diplomats trickled across one of the border bridges on foot, luggage in tow.

Also Sunday three Bolivarian National Guard sergeants fled Venezuela and sought refuge in Brazil.

In the barracks "there is no food," said one of the defectors, identified as Carlos Eduardo Zapata.

"They don't even have mattresses. Us National Guard sergeants are sleeping on the ground."

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is meeting with members of a multinational support group in Bogota Monday to hammer out a strategy to remove his rival Nicolas Maduro from office.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is meeting with members of a multinational support group in Bogota Monday to hammer out a strategy to remove his rival Nicolas Maduro from office. The trip comes after two people were killed and hundreds wounded as Guaido supporters clashed with Venezuelan security forces in a failed attempt to cross in truckloads of humanitarian aid from Colombia and Brazil. The European Union condemned Venezuela's use of violence and armed civilians to block the aid entry, while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "shocked and saddened" by the civilian deaths. Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela's National Assembly, declared himself acting president in January after the opposition-controlled legislature concluded that Maduro was fraudulently re-elected. Some 50 countries recognise him as Venezuela's legitimate president. Maduro's 'days numbered' Guaido flew to the Colombian capital Sunday for the meeting with members of the Lima Group - 13 Latin American countries plus Canada that are seeking to resolve Venezuela's political impasse. Vice President Mike Pence will represent Washington at the event. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was confident that "Maduro's days are numbered," blaming the border violence on armed civilian loyalists known as "colectivos." "We're aimed at a singular mission -- ensuring the Venezuelan people get the democracy they so richly deserve," Pompeo said on CNN's "State of the Union." President Donald Trump has said the United States is not ruling out armed action. Upon landing in Bogota Guaido called on the international community to consider "all measures to free" Venezuela. This is the first time that the Lima Group, which first met in the Peruvian capital in 2017, will speak directly to Guaido. Venezuela is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis that has seen poverty soar during a prolonged recession and hyperinflation. Humanitarian aid, much of it from the United States, has been at the centre of the standoff between Maduro and Guaido. Maduro claims the aid is a smokescreen for a US invasion and has ordered several crossings on Venezuela's borders with Colombia and Brazil closed. 'Victory consolidated' "Today we consolidated yesterday's victory, tomorrow we'll consolidate it even more," Maduro's right-hand man Diosdado Cabello said Sunday at a pro-government rally in the border town of Tachira. "Not a single one of those trucks with aid got through," Cabello said. Maduro seems to have won this round in the power struggle, even though 156 members of Venezuela's security forces deserted to Colombia or Brazil. After Saturday's events it is "not very clear" that Guaido has "massive" support in Venezuela, analyst Rafael Pineros told AFP. However, the events, which also led to increased repression by the Maduro regime, may instead result in a forceful foreign intervention in Venezuela, according to political scientist Laura Gil. "In the Lima Group the consensus is that Maduro must be removed, but there is no consensus on how to do that," Gil told AFP. Another winner is Washington, because the only way to justify a use of force, if they are willing to actually do that, "is by invitation," she said. 'No food' in the barracks Colombian President Ivan Duque visited the two border crossing points where most of the violence took place on Saturday. A 14-year-old boy was among those killed Saturday near the Brazilian border in clashes with Venezuelan security forces. More than 300 people were injured in a day of disturbances at crossings on the Colombian and Brazilian borders. Sporadic clashes between hooded protesters and police, supported by terror-spreading armed civilian "colectivos," continued Sunday on the Venezuelan side of the border, but were not as intense as the day before. Scores of Venezuelans who managed to slip across the border to get aid were trapped there as Venezuelan authorities had closed the border. Nicolasa Gil, a frail 71-year-old who spent the night in Cucuta near one of the crossing points, said she was "scared to cross into my country. "Here we're safer than over there," she told AFP. The attempt to cross aid stockpiled in Colombia led Maduro to sever ties with Bogota - and on Sunday, a group of Colombian diplomats trickled across one of the border bridges on foot, luggage in tow. Also Sunday three Bolivarian National Guard sergeants fled Venezuela and sought refuge in Brazil. In the barracks "there is no food," said one of the defectors, identified as Carlos Eduardo Zapata. "They don't even have mattresses. Us National Guard sergeants are sleeping on the ground."

Venezuela's Guaido meets with foreign allies for anti-Maduro strategy

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday the United States "will take action" as he condemned violence perpetrated by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's "thugs" after security forces fired on demonstrators.

"The U.S. will take action against those who oppose the peaceful restoration of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/without-gas-for-cremation-even-dying-is-a-struggle-in-venezuela-181842">democracy in #Venezuela</a>. Now is the time to act in support of the needs of the desperate Venezuelan people," Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

"We stand in solidarity with those continuing their struggle for freedom. #EstamosUnidosVE."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The U.S. will take action against those who oppose the peaceful restoration of democracy in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Venezuela?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Venezuela</a>. Now is the time to act in support of the needs of the desperate Venezuelan people. We stand in solidarity with those continuing their struggle for freedom. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EstamosUnidosVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EstamosUnidosVE</a> <a href="https://t.co/XfLEsyT6Rj">pic.twitter.com/XfLEsyT6Rj</a>
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1099476061484658689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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After two people were killed and more than 300 wounded in clashes between people trying to get humanitarian aid into Venezuela from neighboring countries and forces loyal to Maduro blocking the shipments, the top US diplomat said "the U.S. condemns the attacks on civilians in #Venezuela perpetrated by Maduro's thugs."&nbsp;

"These attacks have resulted in deaths and injuries," he added.

"Our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have died due to these criminal acts. We join their demand for justice. #EstamosUnidosVE."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday the United States "will take action" as he condemned violence perpetrated by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's "thugs" after security forces fired on demonstrators.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday the United States "will take action" as he condemned violence perpetrated by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's "thugs" after security forces fired on demonstrators. "The U.S. will take action against those who oppose the peaceful restoration of democracy in #Venezuela. Now is the time to act in support of the needs of the desperate Venezuelan people," Pompeo wrote on Twitter. "We stand in solidarity with those continuing their struggle for freedom. #EstamosUnidosVE." The U.S. will take action against those who oppose the peaceful restoration of democracy in #Venezuela. Now is the time to act in support of the needs of the desperate Venezuelan people. We stand in solidarity with those continuing their struggle for freedom. #EstamosUnidosVE pic.twitter.com/XfLEsyT6Rj — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 24, 2019 × After two people were killed and more than 300 wounded in clashes between people trying to get humanitarian aid into Venezuela from neighboring countries and forces loyal to Maduro blocking the shipments, the top US diplomat said "the U.S. condemns the attacks on civilians in #Venezuela perpetrated by Maduro's thugs." "These attacks have resulted in deaths and injuries," he added. "Our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have died due to these criminal acts. We join their demand for justice. #EstamosUnidosVE."

Venezuela crisis: US 'will take action', says Mike Pompeo

Troops loyal to President Nicolas Maduro violently drove back foreign aid convoys from Venezuela's border on Saturday, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/4-people-reported-slain-on-venezuela-brazil-border-199341">killing four protesters</a> and prompting opposition leader Juan Guaido to propose that Washington consider "all options" to oust him.

Trucks laden with US food and medicine returned to warehouses in Colombia after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/two-killed-as-venezuela-aid-showdown-turns-violent-199226">opposition supporters failed to break through lines of troops</a>, who dispersed them with tear gas and rubber rounds, injuring dozens. Witnesses said masked men in civilian clothes also shot at protesters with live bullets.

"Today's events force me to make a decision, to formally propose to the international community that we must have all options open to secure the freedom of our country," Guaido said on Twitter.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-crisis-us-will-take-action-says-mike-pompeo-199230">United States has been the top foreign backer of Guaido</a>, who invoked Venezuela's constitution to assume an interim presidency last month and is now recognised by most Western nations as the OPEC nation's legitimate leader.

President Donald Trump has in the past said military intervention in Venezuela was "an option", though Guaido made no reference to it on Saturday.

Guaido had given a personal send-off to one convoy carrying aid from the Colombian city of Cucuta on Saturday.

The opposition had hoped Venezuelan soldiers would baulk at turning back supplies desperately needed in the country, where a growing number of its 30 million people suffer from malnutrition and treatable diseases.

But while some 60 members of the security forces defected on Saturday, according to Colombian authorities, the lines of National Guard soldiers at the frontier crossings held firm, firing tear gas at the convoys.

At the Urena border point, two aid trucks caught fire, sending plumes of dark smoke into the air as crowds raced to try to save the boxes of supplies, a Reuters witness said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/aid-shipment-enters-venezuela-via-brazil-border-juan-guaido-199213">Guaido said he would keep demanding Maduro let the aid in</a> and would seek other routes. He said he would attend a meeting of the regional Lima Group of nations in Bogota on Monday with US Vice President Mike Pence during which they would decide more actions to ramp up pressure on Maduro.

"Today the world saw in minutes, in hours, the worst face of the Venezuelan dictatorship," Guaido said at an earlier news conference in Colombia, alongside Colombian President Ivan Duque.

Angered by Duque's support for Guaido, Maduro said he was breaking diplomatic relations with Bogota and gave its diplomatic staff 24 hours to leave the country.

Maduro denies his oil-rich nation has any need of aid and accuses Guaido of being a coup-mongering puppet for US President Donald Trump. Washington has warned it could seek to impose tough new sanctions on Venezuela at Monday's summit if Maduro blocked the aid shipments.

"What do the Venezuelan people think of Donald Trump's threats? Get your hands off Venezuela. Yankee go home," Maduro told a rally of red-shirted, flag-waving supporters in the capital, Caracas. "He is sending us rotten food, thank you!"

Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said on Twitter that countries still supporting Maduro "should take note of what they are endorsing", in a thinly veiled rebuke to China and Russia.

'Freedom'

In the Venezuelan border towns of San Antonio and Urena, troops fired rubber rounds at opposition supporters, including lawmakers, who walked toward the frontier waving Venezuelan flags and chanting "Freedom".

Reuters television images from San Antonio showed a dozen men on motorbikes, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, firing shotguns and pistols at a crowd.

Demonstrators in Urena barricaded streets with burning tires, set a bus alight and hurled stones at troops to demand that Maduro allow aid into a country ravaged by a meltdown that has halved the size of the economy in five years.

"They started shooting at close range as if we were criminals," said shopkeeper Vladimir Gomez, 27, wearing a white shirt stained with blood.

At least six of about a dozen trucks that tried to reach Venezuela later returned to Cucuta, where Colombia's disaster management agency said they would be unloaded and the aid stored until Guaido requested their use again.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said he ordered a Puerto Rican ship carrying humanitarian aid to turn back after a Venezuelan navy ship threatened to open fire on it.

"This is unacceptable and shameful," Rossello said in a statement. "We have also notified our partners in the US government about this serious incident."

A Reuters witness said two aid trucks crossed the Brazilian border but not the Venezuelan customs checkpoint.

In the southern town of Santa Elena de Uairen, at least two people were killed in clashes with security forces, according to a doctor at the hospital where they were treated. On Friday, a married couple in a nearby indigenous community was shot dead by security forces.

Rights group Penal Forum said it recorded 29 injuries from bullet wounds and two deaths across Venezuela in clashes with troops on Saturday. Colombian authorities said they registered 285 people injured, including those affected by tear gas.

"I'm a homemaker and I'm here fighting for my family, for my children and parents, resisting the military's tear gas," said opposition protester Sobeida Monsalve, 42, in Urena.

Dozens defect

Guaido had appealed to Venezuela's armed forces to stand aside and allow aid in, promising amnesty to officers who disavowed Maduro. Dozens of soldiers, whose families suffer the same shortages as other Venezuelans, took up his offer.

"You don't owe any obedience to someone who sadistically celebrates that the humanitarian aid doesn't enter a country that needs it," Guaido said.

A social media video showed troops who abandoned their post driving armoured vehicles across a bridge linking Venezuela and Colombia, knocking over metal barricades, and then jumping out of the vehicles and running to the Colombian side.

"What we did today, we did for our families, for the Venezuelan people," one of the defectors said in a video televised by a Colombian news program.

Venezuela's ruling Socialist Party calls Guaido's aid effort a veiled invasion backed by Washington and insists that the United States should instead help Venezuela by lifting crippling financial and oil sector sanctions.

On Saturday, Maduro turned his ire on Colombia and said Duque was letting its territory be used for attacks against Venezuela.

"For that reason, I have decided to break all political and diplomatic relations with Colombia's fascist government," he told cheering supporters.

Thousands of white-clad protesters gathered outside a military base in Caracas to demand that the armed forces allow in the aid.

"This is the biggest battle that the armed forces can win," said Sheyla Salas, 48, who works in advertising. "Please join this struggle, get on the right side of history, allow the humanitarian aid to enter."

Troops loyal to President Nicolas Maduro violently drove back foreign aid convoys from Venezuela's border on Saturday, killing four protesters and prompting opposition leader Juan Guaido to propose that Washington consider "all options" to oust him.

Troops loyal to President Nicolas Maduro violently drove back foreign aid convoys from Venezuela's border on Saturday, killing four protesters and prompting opposition leader Juan Guaido to propose that Washington consider "all options" to oust him. Trucks laden with US food and medicine returned to warehouses in Colombia after opposition supporters failed to break through lines of troops, who dispersed them with tear gas and rubber rounds, injuring dozens. Witnesses said masked men in civilian clothes also shot at protesters with live bullets. "Today's events force me to make a decision, to formally propose to the international community that we must have all options open to secure the freedom of our country," Guaido said on Twitter. The United States has been the top foreign backer of Guaido, who invoked Venezuela's constitution to assume an interim presidency last month and is now recognised by most Western nations as the OPEC nation's legitimate leader. President Donald Trump has in the past said military intervention in Venezuela was "an option", though Guaido made no reference to it on Saturday. Guaido had given a personal send-off to one convoy carrying aid from the Colombian city of Cucuta on Saturday. The opposition had hoped Venezuelan soldiers would baulk at turning back supplies desperately needed in the country, where a growing number of its 30 million people suffer from malnutrition and treatable diseases. But while some 60 members of the security forces defected on Saturday, according to Colombian authorities, the lines of National Guard soldiers at the frontier crossings held firm, firing tear gas at the convoys. At the Urena border point, two aid trucks caught fire, sending plumes of dark smoke into the air as crowds raced to try to save the boxes of supplies, a Reuters witness said. Guaido said he would keep demanding Maduro let the aid in and would seek other routes. He said he would attend a meeting of the regional Lima Group of nations in Bogota on Monday with US Vice President Mike Pence during which they would decide more actions to ramp up pressure on Maduro. "Today the world saw in minutes, in hours, the worst face of the Venezuelan dictatorship," Guaido said at an earlier news conference in Colombia, alongside Colombian President Ivan Duque. Angered by Duque's support for Guaido, Maduro said he was breaking diplomatic relations with Bogota and gave its diplomatic staff 24 hours to leave the country. Maduro denies his oil-rich nation has any need of aid and accuses Guaido of being a coup-mongering puppet for US President Donald Trump. Washington has warned it could seek to impose tough new sanctions on Venezuela at Monday's summit if Maduro blocked the aid shipments. "What do the Venezuelan people think of Donald Trump's threats? Get your hands off Venezuela. Yankee go home," Maduro told a rally of red-shirted, flag-waving supporters in the capital, Caracas. "He is sending us rotten food, thank you!" Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said on Twitter that countries still supporting Maduro "should take note of what they are endorsing", in a thinly veiled rebuke to China and Russia. 'Freedom' In the Venezuelan border towns of San Antonio and Urena, troops fired rubber rounds at opposition supporters, including lawmakers, who walked toward the frontier waving Venezuelan flags and chanting "Freedom". Reuters television images from San Antonio showed a dozen men on motorbikes, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, firing shotguns and pistols at a crowd. Demonstrators in Urena barricaded streets with burning tires, set a bus alight and hurled stones at troops to demand that Maduro allow aid into a country ravaged by a meltdown that has halved the size of the economy in five years. "They started shooting at close range as if we were criminals," said shopkeeper Vladimir Gomez, 27, wearing a white shirt stained with blood. At least six of about a dozen trucks that tried to reach Venezuela later returned to Cucuta, where Colombia's disaster management agency said they would be unloaded and the aid stored until Guaido requested their use again. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said he ordered a Puerto Rican ship carrying humanitarian aid to turn back after a Venezuelan navy ship threatened to open fire on it. "This is unacceptable and shameful," Rossello said in a statement. "We have also notified our partners in the US government about this serious incident." A Reuters witness said two aid trucks crossed the Brazilian border but not the Venezuelan customs checkpoint. In the southern town of Santa Elena de Uairen, at least two people were killed in clashes with security forces, according to a doctor at the hospital where they were treated. On Friday, a married couple in a nearby indigenous community was shot dead by security forces. Rights group Penal Forum said it recorded 29 injuries from bullet wounds and two deaths across Venezuela in clashes with troops on Saturday. Colombian authorities said they registered 285 people injured, including those affected by tear gas. "I'm a homemaker and I'm here fighting for my family, for my children and parents, resisting the military's tear gas," said opposition protester Sobeida Monsalve, 42, in Urena. Dozens defect Guaido had appealed to Venezuela's armed forces to stand aside and allow aid in, promising amnesty to officers who disavowed Maduro. Dozens of soldiers, whose families suffer the same shortages as other Venezuelans, took up his offer. "You don't owe any obedience to someone who sadistically celebrates that the humanitarian aid doesn't enter a country that needs it," Guaido said. A social media video showed troops who abandoned their post driving armoured vehicles across a bridge linking Venezuela and Colombia, knocking over metal barricades, and then jumping out of the vehicles and running to the Colombian side. "What we did today, we did for our families, for the Venezuelan people," one of the defectors said in a video televised by a Colombian news program. Venezuela's ruling Socialist Party calls Guaido's aid effort a veiled invasion backed by Washington and insists that the United States should instead help Venezuela by lifting crippling financial and oil sector sanctions. On Saturday, Maduro turned his ire on Colombia and said Duque was letting its territory be used for attacks against Venezuela. "For that reason, I have decided to break all political and diplomatic relations with Colombia's fascist government," he told cheering supporters. Thousands of white-clad protesters gathered outside a military base in Caracas to demand that the armed forces allow in the aid. "This is the biggest battle that the armed forces can win," said Sheyla Salas, 48, who works in advertising. "Please join this struggle, get on the right side of history, allow the humanitarian aid to enter."

Venezuela: Guaido urges Washington to consider 'all options' to oust Maduro as 4 die in clashes

The Venezuelan Congress with its opposition majority reported this Saturday that by 4:00 pm, four people had been slain while more than 20 suffered bullet wounds on Venezuela's border with Brazil, as the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/two-killed-as-venezuela-aid-showdown-turns-violent-199226">arrival of truckloads of humanitarian aid</a>, forbidden to enter the country by the Maduro government, stirred up conflict there.

"What happened on the border with Brazil wasn't ordinary repression...what occurred in the Venezuelan town of Santa Elena de Uairen was a massacre of the indigenous Pemon people, in which we know of four people killed and more than 20 with bullet wounds," lawmaker Juan Andres Mejia told a press conference.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-crisis-us-will-take-action-says-mike-pompeo-199230">US 'will take action', says Mike Pompeo</a>

This came soon after the speaker of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, who a month ago proclaimed himself interim president of the country, said that the first of two truckloads of humanitarian aid from Brazil had entered Venezuelan territory, despite the Nicolas Maduro government's order to close the border.

The triumph proved to be short-lived, however, when around 50 anti-Chavista demonstrators on the border began throwing Molotov cocktails and rocks at a checkpoint of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), Venezuela's militarized police. Considering the conflict, the two trucks loaded with humanitarian aid retreated some distance back into Brazil.

As for Colombia, the other nation preparing to send humanitarian aid to the beleaguered Caribbean country, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced Saturday that he is breaking off all political and diplomatic ties with the Colombian government, and gave Colombian officials 24 hours to get out of the country.

"My patience is exhausted, I can no longer bear it that the territory of Colombia lends itself to aggression against Venezuela, so I have decided to break off all political and diplomatic relations with the fascist government of Colombia," Maduro told the hundreds of his supporters who were out marching "in defense of the revolution."

He cried out that Colombian "ambassadors and consuls must leave Venezuela within 24 hours," and added, "oligarchy, get out...enough is enough." 
Though Maduro has closed the borders with Brazil and Colombia to keep out the humanitarian aid, not all members of the Bolivarian National Guard and police forces can be relied on to do his bidding.

"Today more than 60 unarmed members of the military, including several officers, have sought refuge in Colombia, showing the loss of confidence in Maduro's usurper regime," Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo told a press conference in Cucuta.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Juan Guaido expressed his gratitude this Saturday for the "backing of the international community" after two trucks loaded with humanitarian aid were set on fire on the Colombian border, and noted that this was a "crime against humanity."

Those two trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, ordered by the opposition, were burned Saturday by the Bolivarian National Police on the Venezuelan side of the Francisco de Paula Santander Bridge, which connects the country with Colombia, Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Gaby Arellano reported earlier.

In response, Guaido posted on his Twitter account that "we continue to receive the support of the international community, which has seen with its own eyes how the usurper regime violates the Geneva Convention, which clearly states that destroying humanitarian aid is a crime against humanity."

Guaido has been accepted as interim president by 50 nations including the United States and Brazil.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo said this Saturday in a statement to EFE that Maduro "has no real power...nor has he any moral power, the only power he has is brute force."

On Friday the "Venezuela Aid Live" concert was held in Cucuta with the participation of 30 local and international artists to hail the arrival of humanitarian aid, and at which Guaido made a key appearance a month after proclaiming himself the interim president of Venezuela.

The Venezuelan Congress with its opposition majority reported this Saturday that by 4:00 pm, four people had been slain while more than 20 suffered bullet wounds on Venezuela's border with Brazil, as the arrival of truckloads of humanitarian aid, forbidden to enter the country by the Maduro government, stirred up conflict there.

The Venezuelan Congress with its opposition majority reported this Saturday that by 4:00 pm, four people had been slain while more than 20 suffered bullet wounds on Venezuela's border with Brazil, as the arrival of truckloads of humanitarian aid, forbidden to enter the country by the Maduro government, stirred up conflict there. "What happened on the border with Brazil wasn't ordinary repression...what occurred in the Venezuelan town of Santa Elena de Uairen was a massacre of the indigenous Pemon people, in which we know of four people killed and more than 20 with bullet wounds," lawmaker Juan Andres Mejia told a press conference. Also read: US 'will take action', says Mike Pompeo This came soon after the speaker of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, who a month ago proclaimed himself interim president of the country, said that the first of two truckloads of humanitarian aid from Brazil had entered Venezuelan territory, despite the Nicolas Maduro government's order to close the border. The triumph proved to be short-lived, however, when around 50 anti-Chavista demonstrators on the border began throwing Molotov cocktails and rocks at a checkpoint of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), Venezuela's militarized police. Considering the conflict, the two trucks loaded with humanitarian aid retreated some distance back into Brazil. As for Colombia, the other nation preparing to send humanitarian aid to the beleaguered Caribbean country, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced Saturday that he is breaking off all political and diplomatic ties with the Colombian government, and gave Colombian officials 24 hours to get out of the country. "My patience is exhausted, I can no longer bear it that the territory of Colombia lends itself to aggression against Venezuela, so I have decided to break off all political and diplomatic relations with the fascist government of Colombia," Maduro told the hundreds of his supporters who were out marching "in defense of the revolution." He cried out that Colombian "ambassadors and consuls must leave Venezuela within 24 hours," and added, "oligarchy, get out...enough is enough." Though Maduro has closed the borders with Brazil and Colombia to keep out the humanitarian aid, not all members of the Bolivarian National Guard and police forces can be relied on to do his bidding. "Today more than 60 unarmed members of the military, including several officers, have sought refuge in Colombia, showing the loss of confidence in Maduro's usurper regime," Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo told a press conference in Cucuta. Meanwhile, opposition leader Juan Guaido expressed his gratitude this Saturday for the "backing of the international community" after two trucks loaded with humanitarian aid were set on fire on the Colombian border, and noted that this was a "crime against humanity." Those two trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, ordered by the opposition, were burned Saturday by the Bolivarian National Police on the Venezuelan side of the Francisco de Paula Santander Bridge, which connects the country with Colombia, Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Gaby Arellano reported earlier. In response, Guaido posted on his Twitter account that "we continue to receive the support of the international community, which has seen with its own eyes how the usurper regime violates the Geneva Convention, which clearly states that destroying humanitarian aid is a crime against humanity." Guaido has been accepted as interim president by 50 nations including the United States and Brazil. Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo said this Saturday in a statement to EFE that Maduro "has no real power...nor has he any moral power, the only power he has is brute force." On Friday the "Venezuela Aid Live" concert was held in Cucuta with the participation of 30 local and international artists to hail the arrival of humanitarian aid, and at which Guaido made a key appearance a month after proclaiming himself the interim president of Venezuela.

4 People reported slain on Venezuela-Brazil border

*By- Annette Idler

As the crisis in Venezuela continues, aid trucks are being blocked at the border with Colombia. But this development isn’t only about the two men claiming to be the country’s rightful president: it’s also about the borderlands themselves.

The Colombia-Venezuela border is home to some of the worst violence and organised crime in the region. Aid blockages can be seen as yet another manifestation of these problems, with armed groups playing power games at the expense of vulnerable local people.

Concerns that Venezuela’s instability could extend beyond its borders have already materialised – 3 million citizens have left the country. Most of them are “absorbed” by borderland communities, pressurising already strained governance systems.

As our research shows, the pressure on basic services in these communities that have been deficient anyway – health, access to food and jobs – fuels crime, prostitution, and begging, and deepens social tensions. Together with the xenophobic discourse of right-wing politicians, this becomes an explosive mix.

Venezuela’s crisis is also fuelling the expansion of criminal networks that have ruled the region for decades, as they take advantage of the economic crisis along the border.

Take cocaine production, for example. Colombian coca cultivation has increased, especially near the border with Venezuela. As one civil society leader from Colombia told our research team, a “labour force from Venezuela is arriving at the coca cultivations”.

The money Venezuelans can make in coca farming exceeds normal salaries back home, and may be the only income option available. This constant availability of labour then allows armed groups to keep the cocaine business going.

Yet this is not just about drugs. As I show in my new book Borderland Battles, the Colombia-Venezuela border features many illicit flows, including of weapons, gasoline and people. These are boosted by the crisis, with more Venezuelan women and children being trafficked.

Furthermore, according to interviewees from the Venezuelan state of Táchira, it is increasingly common to hear Mexican accents in Venezuelan border towns. This reflects the steady expansion of Mexican drug cartels into the region, intensifying violent competition over the business.

Risking peace in Colombia

Upheaval in Venezuela has also intensified the cross-border violence related to Colombia’s armed conflict. While Colombian guerrillas have used Venezuela as a safe haven for decades, their presence in the country has now become more complex.

Despite Colombia’s peace deal with the leftist guerrilla group, FARC, there is ongoing conflict with the ELN rebels, who are believed to operate in 12 Venezuelan states. At the same time, FARC dissidents have expanded their control over gold mining in southern Venezuela, and Colombian right-wing groups occupy Venezuela’s border regions. They gain strength in Venezuela to strike Colombia, while adding to Venezuela’s internal violence as they clash with state forces.

Further afield, incidents such as the US national security advisor writing “5,000 troops to Colombia” on his notepad serve only to escalate tensions.

Back in 2012, a human rights defender in Venezuela explained to me that the country needs to prepare itself for a US invasion, which would start via Colombia. For that reason, there are some who would welcome a FARC presence in Venezuela – as a “buffer”. Such a scenario was engraved in many of my interviewees’ minds, exposing the irresponsibility of reviving such fears.

Meanwhile, bodies of Venezuelan nationals killed in combat between Colombian state forces and guerrillas reveal that young Venezuelans in search of a better future have become easy recruits for the ELN, FARC dissidents, and other Colombian armed groups. Moreover, Venezuelan “colectivos”, radical left-wing groups, have expanded into Colombia’s border region.

Further violent escalation in Venezuela may give rise to a messy cross-border conflict, rather than civil war. Instead of the emergence of clear front lines, the Venezuelan state forces might fragment into factions loyal to Maduro, others supporting Guaidó, and yet others picking their own local leaders whose illicit business interests do not stop at the border, as the aid blockages may indicate.

With Colombia’s peace on shaky grounds and the ELN’s armed struggle continuing, both organised and “disorganised” violence could develop across the two countries.

Border control

The need for action is clear, but there are no easy fixes. Shutting Venezuela’s borders to avoid insecurity from “spilling over” would be irresponsible.

At long borders with rough terrain, such as the Colombian-Venezuelan one that extends 1,378 miles (comparable to the 1,954-mile US-Mexican border), porous areas are inevitable. Violent entrepreneurs use them to their advantage while suffering people are stuck. This happened in 2015 after Maduro closed the border: illicit flows kept thriving, but people’s needs remained unmet.

Even a complete border closure serves to incentivise more illicit cross-border activities because with increased risk comes increased prices and profits. Instead, curbing people’s insecurity amid Venezuela’s turmoil requires a dual approach.

In Venezuela, calls for unity and democracy need to extend to the military to contain violence effectively. In the borderlands, humanitarian assistance to Venezuelan refugees must be combined with long term support for communities to “absorb” them by stepping up the provision of services and sustainable job opportunities.

Sadly, violence knows no borders. But nor do humanitarian principles and solidarity. Venezuela’s political future may still be uncertain, but one thing is sure: turning a blind eye to the border region is no longer an option. Borderland communities’ security must come first.

*Dr Annette Idler is the Director of Studies at the Changing Character of War Centre, and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford.

(This article was originally published on the Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/venezuela-a-humanitarian-and-security-crisis-on-the-border-with-colombia-112240">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

*By- Annette Idler As the crisis in Venezuela continues, aid trucks are being blocked at the border with Colombia. But this development isn’t only about the two men claiming to be the country’s rightful president: it’s also about the borderlands themselves.

*By- Annette Idler As the crisis in Venezuela continues, aid trucks are being blocked at the border with Colombia. But this development isn’t only about the two men claiming to be the country’s rightful president: it’s also about the borderlands themselves. The Colombia-Venezuela border is home to some of the worst violence and organised crime in the region. Aid blockages can be seen as yet another manifestation of these problems, with armed groups playing power games at the expense of vulnerable local people. Concerns that Venezuela’s instability could extend beyond its borders have already materialised – 3 million citizens have left the country. Most of them are “absorbed” by borderland communities, pressurising already strained governance systems. As our research shows, the pressure on basic services in these communities that have been deficient anyway – health, access to food and jobs – fuels crime, prostitution, and begging, and deepens social tensions. Together with the xenophobic discourse of right-wing politicians, this becomes an explosive mix. Venezuela’s crisis is also fuelling the expansion of criminal networks that have ruled the region for decades, as they take advantage of the economic crisis along the border. Take cocaine production, for example. Colombian coca cultivation has increased, especially near the border with Venezuela. As one civil society leader from Colombia told our research team, a “labour force from Venezuela is arriving at the coca cultivations”. The money Venezuelans can make in coca farming exceeds normal salaries back home, and may be the only income option available. This constant availability of labour then allows armed groups to keep the cocaine business going. Yet this is not just about drugs. As I show in my new book Borderland Battles, the Colombia-Venezuela border features many illicit flows, including of weapons, gasoline and people. These are boosted by the crisis, with more Venezuelan women and children being trafficked. Furthermore, according to interviewees from the Venezuelan state of Táchira, it is increasingly common to hear Mexican accents in Venezuelan border towns. This reflects the steady expansion of Mexican drug cartels into the region, intensifying violent competition over the business. Risking peace in Colombia Upheaval in Venezuela has also intensified the cross-border violence related to Colombia’s armed conflict. While Colombian guerrillas have used Venezuela as a safe haven for decades, their presence in the country has now become more complex. Despite Colombia’s peace deal with the leftist guerrilla group, FARC, there is ongoing conflict with the ELN rebels, who are believed to operate in 12 Venezuelan states. At the same time, FARC dissidents have expanded their control over gold mining in southern Venezuela, and Colombian right-wing groups occupy Venezuela’s border regions. They gain strength in Venezuela to strike Colombia, while adding to Venezuela’s internal violence as they clash with state forces. Further afield, incidents such as the US national security advisor writing “5,000 troops to Colombia” on his notepad serve only to escalate tensions. Back in 2012, a human rights defender in Venezuela explained to me that the country needs to prepare itself for a US invasion, which would start via Colombia. For that reason, there are some who would welcome a FARC presence in Venezuela – as a “buffer”. Such a scenario was engraved in many of my interviewees’ minds, exposing the irresponsibility of reviving such fears. Meanwhile, bodies of Venezuelan nationals killed in combat between Colombian state forces and guerrillas reveal that young Venezuelans in search of a better future have become easy recruits for the ELN, FARC dissidents, and other Colombian armed groups. Moreover, Venezuelan “colectivos”, radical left-wing groups, have expanded into Colombia’s border region. Further violent escalation in Venezuela may give rise to a messy cross-border conflict, rather than civil war. Instead of the emergence of clear front lines, the Venezuelan state forces might fragment into factions loyal to Maduro, others supporting Guaidó, and yet others picking their own local leaders whose illicit business interests do not stop at the border, as the aid blockages may indicate. With Colombia’s peace on shaky grounds and the ELN’s armed struggle continuing, both organised and “disorganised” violence could develop across the two countries. Border control The need for action is clear, but there are no easy fixes. Shutting Venezuela’s borders to avoid insecurity from “spilling over” would be irresponsible. At long borders with rough terrain, such as the Colombian-Venezuelan one that extends 1,378 miles (comparable to the 1,954-mile US-Mexican border), porous areas are inevitable. Violent entrepreneurs use them to their advantage while suffering people are stuck. This happened in 2015 after Maduro closed the border: illicit flows kept thriving, but people’s needs remained unmet. Even a complete border closure serves to incentivise more illicit cross-border activities because with increased risk comes increased prices and profits. Instead, curbing people’s insecurity amid Venezuela’s turmoil requires a dual approach. In Venezuela, calls for unity and democracy need to extend to the military to contain violence effectively. In the borderlands, humanitarian assistance to Venezuelan refugees must be combined with long term support for communities to “absorb” them by stepping up the provision of services and sustainable job opportunities. Sadly, violence knows no borders. But nor do humanitarian principles and solidarity. Venezuela’s political future may still be uncertain, but one thing is sure: turning a blind eye to the border region is no longer an option. Borderland communities’ security must come first. *Dr Annette Idler is the Director of Studies at the Changing Character of War Centre, and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford. (This article was originally published on the Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Venezuela needs to tackle growing humanitarian and security crisis at the border

Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Gauido announced Saturday that the first shipment of humanitarian aid had entered Venezuela through its border with Brazil, defying a blockade by President Nicolas Maduro.

"Attention Venezuela: We officially announce that the first shipment of humanitarian aid has now entered our border with Brazil. This is a great achievement, Venezuela!" wrote Guaido in a tweet.

Humanitarian aid has become the centrepiece of the stand-off between Maduro and Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela's National Assembly who declared himself interim president exactly one month ago sparking a President legitimacy crisis in the country.

Guaido also called the Maduro's 2018 reelections invalid and the body that elevated him.

However, Maduro's government says, the current crisis is a coup attempt led by the United States to topple him and control the country's vast oil reserves.

Venezuela is gripped by a humanitarian crisis that has seen poverty soar during years of recession.

As many as 300,000 Venezuelans are in dire need of food and medicine after years of shortages and malnutrition, according to Guaido.

United Nations figures show that some 2.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 amid the crisis, and some 5,000 Venezuelans emigrate from their country each day. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from news agencies)

Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Gauido announced Saturday that the first shipment of humanitarian aid had entered Venezuela through its border with Brazil, defying a blockade by President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Gauido announced Saturday that the first shipment of humanitarian aid had entered Venezuela through its border with Brazil, defying a blockade by President Nicolas Maduro. "Attention Venezuela: We officially announce that the first shipment of humanitarian aid has now entered our border with Brazil. This is a great achievement, Venezuela!" wrote Guaido in a tweet. Humanitarian aid has become the centrepiece of the stand-off between Maduro and Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela's National Assembly who declared himself interim president exactly one month ago sparking a President legitimacy crisis in the country. Guaido also called the Maduro's 2018 reelections invalid and the body that elevated him. However, Maduro's government says, the current crisis is a coup attempt led by the United States to topple him and control the country's vast oil reserves. Venezuela is gripped by a humanitarian crisis that has seen poverty soar during years of recession. As many as 300,000 Venezuelans are in dire need of food and medicine after years of shortages and malnutrition, according to Guaido. United Nations figures show that some 2.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 amid the crisis, and some 5,000 Venezuelans emigrate from their country each day. (With inputs from news agencies)

Aid shipment enters Venezuela via Brazil border: Juan Guaido

Venezuela crisis: UN Secy warns Maduro against use of lethal force

Venezuelan security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets Saturday to disperse a crowd demanding to cross the Venezuela-Colombia border, ordered closed by President Nicolas Maduro as tensions in the Latin American country soared ahead of an opposition deadline to bring in humanitarian aid.

"We want to work!" people chanted as they faced Venezuelan National Guard riot police blocking the crossing at the Urena border brige to Colombia, one of several ordered closed Maduro late Friday.&nbsp;

Also report: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelan-troops-fire-tear-gas-at-colombian-border-report-199168">Venezuelan troops fire tear gas at </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelan-troops-fire-tear-gas-at-colombian-border-report-199168">Colombian</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelan-troops-fire-tear-gas-at-colombian-border-report-199168"> border</a>

Meanwhile, four National Guard troops deserted their posts near the border, one greeted by a crowd of cheering Venezuelans on the Colombian side as he walked across. Three others smashed through a security barrier on the Simon Bolivar bridge crossing in their jeep.

Supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido in Colombia are planning to cross the border carrying emergency supplies into Venezuela. Guaido has vowed humanitarian aid would enter his country despite a blockade.

Socialist leader Maduro has rejected the aid, which he's dismissed as a show and pretext for a US invasion.

Humanitarian aid has become the centrepiece of the stand-off between Maduro and Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela's National Assembly who declared himself interim president exactly one month ago Saturday. Guaido has accused Maduro of rigging his re-election and is demanding a new vote.

Venezuela is gripped by a humanitarian crisis that has seen poverty soar during years of recession.

As many as 300,000 Venezuelans are in dire need of food and medicine after years of shortages and malnutrition, according to Guaido.

United Nations figures show that some 2.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 amid the crisis, and some 5,000 Venezuelans emigrate from their country each day.

On the eve of the face-off, Guaido defied a government ban on leaving the country and attended the "Venezuela Live Aid" concert organized by British billionaire Richard Branson just over the border in Colombia. The concert is aimed at raising funds to help the relief effort.

Guaido sensationally claimed that the Venezuelan military, whose high command has repeatedly declared absolute loyalty to Maduro, "participated in this process" to get him into Colombia.

Hours later, Caracas said it had closed much of the Colombian border, citing threats to Venezuela's security.

Guaido said that aid would come in on Saturday regardless of any military blockade.

His supporters plan to drive the aid from Colombia into Venezuela at the closed border crossings supported by a flood of volunteers and accompanied by Catholic priests in an attempt to avoid arrest.

Colombia and Venezuela share a 2,200 kilometer-long (1,370 miles) border, and trucks carrying aid could also drive across some of the countless illegal dirt roads that link the two countries across the porous border.

Two killed

On Friday the tense stand-off turned deadly when two people were killed and 15 wounded as they tried to prevent Venezuelan troops from blocking an entry point on the Brazilian border.

"An indigenous woman and her husband were killed and at least 15 other members of the Pemon indigenous community were injured," said a local human rights group, Kape Kape.

The clash occurred in southeastern Bolivar state near to the border with Brazil, which Maduro ordered closed on Thursday.

Guaido called on the military to arrest those responsible for the killings, "or you will be responsible."

"It wasn't a clash, it was an attack," said Salomon Perez, who accompanied a brother and two nieces suffering from gunshot wounds by ambulance to a hospital in Brazil.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Venezuelan authorities to refrain from using lethal force against protesters.

The United States "strongly condemns the Venezuelan military's use of force against unarmed civilians and innocent volunteers" on the border with Brazil, the White House said. "The world is watching," the statement added.

Early Saturday two large trucks carrying eight tonnes of emergency aid left Boa Vista in Brazil en route to the Venezuelan border. The vehicles are driven by Venezuelans and escorted by Brazilian police, organizers said.

Battle of the bands

The "Venezuela Live Aid" concert, which featured some of the biggest names in Spanish-language music, was broadcast live online.

Branson said he hopes to raise $100 million for humanitarian aid over the next 60 days via internet donations. Meanwhile, aid is being stockpiled in Colombia, Brazil and the Caribbean island of Curacao because of Maduro's ban.

Guaido rallied his supporters when he showed up at the concert on Friday joined by Colombian President Ivan Duque, Chile's Sebastian Pinera and Mario Abdo of Paraguay. The leaders greeted the crowd before the concert ended.

Maduro's rival concert, decidedly smaller and featuring Cuban and local artists, began hours later nearby on the Venezuelan side of the border in Urena.&nbsp;

Performers took to the stage against a giant backdrop emblazoned with the words "#Trump Hands off Venezuela," with around 2,500 people in attendance.

"We don't want to be interfered with, we don't want to be invaded," said Johana Suarez.

Maduro said the event would last until Sunday.

Maduro, who has support from China, Russia and the military high command, accuses the United States of plotting a military intervention.

Moscow has blasted Washington for using aid as a "convenient pretext for conducting military action."

Venezuelan security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets Saturday to disperse a crowd demanding to cross the Venezuela-Colombia border, ordered closed by President Nicolas Maduro as tensions in the Latin American country soared ahead of an opposition deadline to bring in humanitarian aid.

Venezuelan security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets Saturday to disperse a crowd demanding to cross the Venezuela-Colombia border, ordered closed by President Nicolas Maduro as tensions in the Latin American country soared ahead of an opposition deadline to bring in humanitarian aid. "We want to work!" people chanted as they faced Venezuelan National Guard riot police blocking the crossing at the Urena border brige to Colombia, one of several ordered closed Maduro late Friday. Also report: Venezuelan troops fire tear gas at Colombian border Meanwhile, four National Guard troops deserted their posts near the border, one greeted by a crowd of cheering Venezuelans on the Colombian side as he walked across. Three others smashed through a security barrier on the Simon Bolivar bridge crossing in their jeep. Supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido in Colombia are planning to cross the border carrying emergency supplies into Venezuela. Guaido has vowed humanitarian aid would enter his country despite a blockade. Socialist leader Maduro has rejected the aid, which he's dismissed as a show and pretext for a US invasion. Humanitarian aid has become the centrepiece of the stand-off between Maduro and Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela's National Assembly who declared himself interim president exactly one month ago Saturday. Guaido has accused Maduro of rigging his re-election and is demanding a new vote. Venezuela is gripped by a humanitarian crisis that has seen poverty soar during years of recession. As many as 300,000 Venezuelans are in dire need of food and medicine after years of shortages and malnutrition, according to Guaido. United Nations figures show that some 2.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 amid the crisis, and some 5,000 Venezuelans emigrate from their country each day. On the eve of the face-off, Guaido defied a government ban on leaving the country and attended the "Venezuela Live Aid" concert organized by British billionaire Richard Branson just over the border in Colombia. The concert is aimed at raising funds to help the relief effort. Guaido sensationally claimed that the Venezuelan military, whose high command has repeatedly declared absolute loyalty to Maduro, "participated in this process" to get him into Colombia. Hours later, Caracas said it had closed much of the Colombian border, citing threats to Venezuela's security. Guaido said that aid would come in on Saturday regardless of any military blockade. His supporters plan to drive the aid from Colombia into Venezuela at the closed border crossings supported by a flood of volunteers and accompanied by Catholic priests in an attempt to avoid arrest. Colombia and Venezuela share a 2,200 kilometer-long (1,370 miles) border, and trucks carrying aid could also drive across some of the countless illegal dirt roads that link the two countries across the porous border. Two killed On Friday the tense stand-off turned deadly when two people were killed and 15 wounded as they tried to prevent Venezuelan troops from blocking an entry point on the Brazilian border. "An indigenous woman and her husband were killed and at least 15 other members of the Pemon indigenous community were injured," said a local human rights group, Kape Kape. The clash occurred in southeastern Bolivar state near to the border with Brazil, which Maduro ordered closed on Thursday. Guaido called on the military to arrest those responsible for the killings, "or you will be responsible." "It wasn't a clash, it was an attack," said Salomon Perez, who accompanied a brother and two nieces suffering from gunshot wounds by ambulance to a hospital in Brazil. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Venezuelan authorities to refrain from using lethal force against protesters. The United States "strongly condemns the Venezuelan military's use of force against unarmed civilians and innocent volunteers" on the border with Brazil, the White House said. "The world is watching," the statement added. Early Saturday two large trucks carrying eight tonnes of emergency aid left Boa Vista in Brazil en route to the Venezuelan border. The vehicles are driven by Venezuelans and escorted by Brazilian police, organizers said. Battle of the bands The "Venezuela Live Aid" concert, which featured some of the biggest names in Spanish-language music, was broadcast live online. Branson said he hopes to raise $100 million for humanitarian aid over the next 60 days via internet donations. Meanwhile, aid is being stockpiled in Colombia, Brazil and the Caribbean island of Curacao because of Maduro's ban. Guaido rallied his supporters when he showed up at the concert on Friday joined by Colombian President Ivan Duque, Chile's Sebastian Pinera and Mario Abdo of Paraguay. The leaders greeted the crowd before the concert ended. Maduro's rival concert, decidedly smaller and featuring Cuban and local artists, began hours later nearby on the Venezuelan side of the border in Urena. Performers took to the stage against a giant backdrop emblazoned with the words "#Trump Hands off Venezuela," with around 2,500 people in attendance. "We don't want to be interfered with, we don't want to be invaded," said Johana Suarez. Maduro said the event would last until Sunday. Maduro, who has support from China, Russia and the military high command, accuses the United States of plotting a military intervention. Moscow has blasted Washington for using aid as a "convenient pretext for conducting military action."

Venezuela set for aid showdown as Guaido claims military help

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-indias-mumbai-control-centre-receives-hijack-threat-call-all-airports-across-country-put-on-high-alert-199172">Air India’s Mumbai control centre receives hijack threat call, all airports across </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-indias-mumbai-control-centre-receives-hijack-threat-call-all-airports-across-country-put-on-high-alert-199172">country</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-indias-mumbai-control-centre-receives-hijack-threat-call-all-airports-across-country-put-on-high-alert-199172"> put on high alert</a>

Air India's Mumbai control centre on Saturday received a phone call threatening to hijack its plane, following which Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) ordered all airlines and CISF to follow specific enhanced measures to ensure security, according to an official note.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161">I don't want my children to bear </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161">burden</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161"> of nuclear arms, says North Korea's Kim Jong-un</a>

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told the US secretary of state he did not want his children to live with the burden of nuclear weapons, a former CIA officer involved in high-level diplomacy over the North's weapons was quoted as saying on Saturday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelan-troops-fire-tear-gas-at-colombian-border-report-199168">Venezuelan troops fire tear gas at Colombian border: Report</a>

Venezuelan troops near the Colombian border on Saturday fired tear gas at a group of people seeking to cross into the neighbouring nation to work, news agency Reuters reported.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/300-vehicles-burnt-as-massive-fire-engulfs-aero-india-show-in-bengaluru-199152">300 vehicles burnt as massive fire engulfs Aero India show in Bengaluru</a>

Around 300 vehicles have been gutted after a massive fire broke out at the parking lot of Bengaluru's Yelahanka Air Force Station, where the Aero India 2019 show was being held.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-writes-to-unsc-again-on-pakistan-alleges-violations-by-pakistan-forces-199149">Afghanistan writes to UNSC again on Islamabad, alleges violations by Pakistan forces</a>

For the second time in a week, Afghanistan has taken its neighbour Pakistan to United Nations Security Council (UNSC).&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Air India’s Mumbai control centre receives hijack threat call, all airports across country put on high alert Air India's Mumbai control centre on Saturday received a phone call threatening to hijack its plane, following which Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) ordered all airlines and CISF to follow specific enhanced measures to ensure security, according to an official note.

Air India’s Mumbai control centre receives hijack threat call, all airports across country put on high alert Air India's Mumbai control centre on Saturday received a phone call threatening to hijack its plane, following which Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) ordered all airlines and CISF to follow specific enhanced measures to ensure security, according to an official note. I don't want my children to bear burden of nuclear arms, says North Korea's Kim Jong-un North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told the US secretary of state he did not want his children to live with the burden of nuclear weapons, a former CIA officer involved in high-level diplomacy over the North's weapons was quoted as saying on Saturday. Venezuelan troops fire tear gas at Colombian border: Report Venezuelan troops near the Colombian border on Saturday fired tear gas at a group of people seeking to cross into the neighbouring nation to work, news agency Reuters reported. 300 vehicles burnt as massive fire engulfs Aero India show in Bengaluru Around 300 vehicles have been gutted after a massive fire broke out at the parking lot of Bengaluru's Yelahanka Air Force Station, where the Aero India 2019 show was being held. Afghanistan writes to UNSC again on Islamabad, alleges violations by Pakistan forces For the second time in a week, Afghanistan has taken its neighbour Pakistan to United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

News brief: Big stories of the day

Venezuelan troops near the Colombian border on Saturday fired tear gas at a group of people seeking to cross into the neighbouring nation to work, news agency Reuters reported.

The government of President Nicolas Maduro has shuttered borders as opposition leaders prepare to bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela against the wishes of the ruling Socialist Party.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-threatens-new-sanctions-on-venezuela-if-aid-convoys-blocked-top-official-199117">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-threatens-new-sanctions-on-venezuela-if-aid-convoys-blocked-top-official-199117"> threatens new sanctions on Venezuela if aid convoys blocked</a>

The move to close the border was taken hours after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered communications to be shut off with Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao islands and closed the border with Brazil, to stop the entry of humanitarian aid amassed there.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-accuses-us-of-planning-to-arm-opposition-in-venezuela-199123">Russia accuses </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-accuses-us-of-planning-to-arm-opposition-in-venezuela-199123">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-accuses-us-of-planning-to-arm-opposition-in-venezuela-199123"> of planning to arm opposition in Venezuela</a>

Humanitarian aid has become the centrepiece of the stand-off between Maduro and Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela's National Assembly who declared himself interim president exactly one month ago sparking a President legitimacy crisis.

Guaido also called the Maduro's 2018 reelections invalid and the body that elevated him.

However, Maduro's government says, the current crisis is a coup attempt led by the United States to topple him and control the country's vast oil reserves.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/venezuela-needs-to-tackle-growing-humanitarian-and-security-crisis-at-the-border-199126">Venezuela is gripped by a humanitarian crisis</a> that has seen poverty soar during years of recession.

As many as 300,000 Venezuelans are in dire need of food and medicine after years of shortages and malnutrition, according to Guaido.

United Nations figures show that some 2.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 amid the crisis, and some 5,000 Venezuelans emigrate from their country each day.

(With inputs from agencies)

Venezuelan troops near the Colombian border on Saturday fired tear gas at a group of people seeking to cross into the neighbouring nation to work, news agency Reuters reported.

Venezuelan troops near the Colombian border on Saturday fired tear gas at a group of people seeking to cross into the neighbouring nation to work, news agency Reuters reported. The government of President Nicolas Maduro has shuttered borders as opposition leaders prepare to bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela against the wishes of the ruling Socialist Party. Also read: US threatens new sanctions on Venezuela if aid convoys blocked The move to close the border was taken hours after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered communications to be shut off with Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao islands and closed the border with Brazil, to stop the entry of humanitarian aid amassed there. Also read: Russia accuses US of planning to arm opposition in Venezuela Humanitarian aid has become the centrepiece of the stand-off between Maduro and Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela's National Assembly who declared himself interim president exactly one month ago sparking a President legitimacy crisis. Guaido also called the Maduro's 2018 reelections invalid and the body that elevated him. However, Maduro's government says, the current crisis is a coup attempt led by the United States to topple him and control the country's vast oil reserves. Venezuela is gripped by a humanitarian crisis that has seen poverty soar during years of recession. As many as 300,000 Venezuelans are in dire need of food and medicine after years of shortages and malnutrition, according to Guaido. United Nations figures show that some 2.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 amid the crisis, and some 5,000 Venezuelans emigrate from their country each day. (With inputs from agencies)

Venezuelan troops fire tear gas at Colombian border: Report

An estimated 2.7 million people have left Venezuela since 2015, the UN said Friday, warning that the exodus amid a devastating political and economic crisis looked set to continue "unabated."

The figure from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) marks an increase from December when 2.3 million people were estimated to have fled the country.

UNHCR and the UN migration agency IOM said in a joint statement that an average of 5,000 people left Venezuela every day in 2018, noting that neighbouring countries especially Colombia have taken on most of the burden.&nbsp;

"These figures underscore the strain on host communities and the continued need for support from the international community, at a time when the world’s attention is on political developments inside Venezuela," Eduardo Stein, joint UNHCR-IOM Special Representative for Venezuela, said in a statement.&nbsp;

UN agencies have estimated that 3.4 million Venezuelans are currently living abroad, a figure that includes those who left before President Nicolas Maduro's government was engulfed in crisis.&nbsp;

The total number of Venezuelans living outside the country is expected to hit 5.3 million by year's end, according to the UN. &nbsp;

An estimated 2.7 million people have left Venezuela since 2015, the UN said Friday, warning that the exodus amid a devastating political and economic crisis looked set to continue "unabated.

An estimated 2.7 million people have left Venezuela since 2015, the UN said Friday, warning that the exodus amid a devastating political and economic crisis looked set to continue "unabated." The figure from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) marks an increase from December when 2.3 million people were estimated to have fled the country. UNHCR and the UN migration agency IOM said in a joint statement that an average of 5,000 people left Venezuela every day in 2018, noting that neighbouring countries especially Colombia have taken on most of the burden. "These figures underscore the strain on host communities and the continued need for support from the international community, at a time when the world’s attention is on political developments inside Venezuela," Eduardo Stein, joint UNHCR-IOM Special Representative for Venezuela, said in a statement. UN agencies have estimated that 3.4 million Venezuelans are currently living abroad, a figure that includes those who left before President Nicolas Maduro's government was engulfed in crisis. The total number of Venezuelans living outside the country is expected to hit 5.3 million by year's end, according to the UN.

2.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015: UN

China is lobbying hard to thwart scrutiny of its mass detention camps for Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region at the UN Human Rights Council's main annual session opening on Monday, diplomats and activists said.

Saudi Arabia will face criticism for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its failure to cooperate with a UN-led inquiry, diplomatic sources said.

And ambassadors from some European countries plan to boycott a speech by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Tuesday, as more countries back opposition leader Juan Guaido and spurn President Nicolas Maduro, they add.

Western countries look to Turkey and other members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to shine a spotlight on what China calls re-education and training facilities. UN experts say the camps hold a million Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language, and other Muslims. China has rejected accusations of mistreatment.

While the 47-member Council's resolutions are not binding, all countries work hard to avoid its "naming and shaming". China is especially sensitive to criticism, which it views as interference.

Turkey, whose foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is due to address the Geneva forum on Monday, urged China this month to close its camps, calling them a "great shame for humanity".

"It's up to the OIC. If they don't take the lead, it's very hard for other countries," one Asian ambassador told Reuters.

Activists have urged European and Muslim nations to take the lead in establishing a UN investigation into the detentions and what they call "forced indoctrination".

John Fisher of Human Rights Watch said, "We are encouraged that everybody we speak with shares the concern at China’s sweeping violations in Xinjiang, and agrees that China must be held to the same standard as everyone else, that there is a need for collective action, and that the time to act is now."

But diplomatic sources said that there was no sign that any country would present a resolution on China, although delegations were preparing to raise the issue in statements.

Meanwhile, China has failed to block Tibetan and Uighur activists from taking part in the four-week session.

A letter from China's mission in Geneva, seen by Reuters, urges the United Nations not to allow 15 activists - including the Dalai Lama and Dolkun Isa, president of the exiled World Uighur Congress - to attend. The request was rejected, UN sources said.

China is also organising a photo exhibit at the UN in Geneva with some 90 photos, many of smiling Uighurs, they add.

UN rights investigators on Iran, Myanmar and North Korea are to present annual reports. Their mandates are expected to be renewed, despite the United States having quit the forum last year over a perceived anti-Israel bias, diplomats said.

A UN report on Israel's use of force against Palestinian protestors in Gaza last year is to be issued, while a UN report on a database of companies active in the Gaza Strip may be delayed again, they said.

China is lobbying hard to thwart scrutiny of its mass detention camps for Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region at the UN Human Rights Council's main annual session opening on Monday, diplomats and activists said.

China is lobbying hard to thwart scrutiny of its mass detention camps for Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region at the UN Human Rights Council's main annual session opening on Monday, diplomats and activists said. Saudi Arabia will face criticism for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its failure to cooperate with a UN-led inquiry, diplomatic sources said. And ambassadors from some European countries plan to boycott a speech by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Tuesday, as more countries back opposition leader Juan Guaido and spurn President Nicolas Maduro, they add. Western countries look to Turkey and other members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to shine a spotlight on what China calls re-education and training facilities. UN experts say the camps hold a million Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language, and other Muslims. China has rejected accusations of mistreatment. While the 47-member Council's resolutions are not binding, all countries work hard to avoid its "naming and shaming". China is especially sensitive to criticism, which it views as interference. Turkey, whose foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is due to address the Geneva forum on Monday, urged China this month to close its camps, calling them a "great shame for humanity". "It's up to the OIC. If they don't take the lead, it's very hard for other countries," one Asian ambassador told Reuters. Activists have urged European and Muslim nations to take the lead in establishing a UN investigation into the detentions and what they call "forced indoctrination". John Fisher of Human Rights Watch said, "We are encouraged that everybody we speak with shares the concern at China’s sweeping violations in Xinjiang, and agrees that China must be held to the same standard as everyone else, that there is a need for collective action, and that the time to act is now." But diplomatic sources said that there was no sign that any country would present a resolution on China, although delegations were preparing to raise the issue in statements. Meanwhile, China has failed to block Tibetan and Uighur activists from taking part in the four-week session. A letter from China's mission in Geneva, seen by Reuters, urges the United Nations not to allow 15 activists - including the Dalai Lama and Dolkun Isa, president of the exiled World Uighur Congress - to attend. The request was rejected, UN sources said. China is also organising a photo exhibit at the UN in Geneva with some 90 photos, many of smiling Uighurs, they add. UN rights investigators on Iran, Myanmar and North Korea are to present annual reports. Their mandates are expected to be renewed, despite the United States having quit the forum last year over a perceived anti-Israel bias, diplomats said. A UN report on Israel's use of force against Palestinian protestors in Gaza last year is to be issued, while a UN report on a database of companies active in the Gaza Strip may be delayed again, they said.

China, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela in hot seat at UN rights forum

Russia on Friday accused the United States of using aid deliveries to Venezuela as a ploy to carry out military action against President Nicolas Maduro's government.

"A dangerous provocation, instigated and led by Washington, is planned for February 23," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, pointing to efforts by opposition leader Juan Guaido to pick up US aid being stockpiled on the Colombian border.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-against-forcefully-sending-aid-to-venezuela-198958">China against forcefully sending aid to Venezuela, says Foreign </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-against-forcefully-sending-aid-to-venezuela-198958">ministry</a>

Guaido's plans to try to bring the aid across the border are aimed at provoking clashes, she said, to provide "a convenient pretext for conducting military action".

Russia is a key supporter of Maduro's government and has repeatedly accused Washington of trying to carry out a coup in Venezuela.

On Thursday, Guaido set out in a convoy to collect US-supplied food and medicine stockpiled in Colombia, vowing to bring in the aid by Saturday.

Maduro has closed the border with Brazil to prevent the entry of aid and the military has beefed up security at the Colombian border.

Zakharova alleged that the US had moved special forces and military equipment "closer to Venezuelan territory" and was considering large-scale weapons purchases to arm the opposition.

Noting that it had been five years since the Ukrainian revolution that ousted a Russian-backed leader -- which Moscow has accused the US of orchestrating -- Zakharova said Washington was preparing for more regime change in Venezuela.

"It seems that in Washington there is nothing to mark the fifth anniversary of the coup d'etat in Ukraine, so they decided to hold a new coup d'etat," she said.

She warned that a US military intervention in Venezuela would lead to a "sharp increase in tensions" around the world.

Shipments of food and medicine for Venezuelans suffering in the country's economic crisis have become a focus of the power struggle between Maduro and Guaido.

Maduro has said Russia was providing 300 tonnes of aid but Moscow has not provided details.

Russian news agencies reported that Venezuela's Minister of Industries and National Production Tareck El Aissami would visit Moscow on Friday to meet with Russian officials.

A source quoted by the Interfax news agency said talks would focus on "cooperation in trade and the economy".

Russia on Friday accused the United States of using aid deliveries to Venezuela as a ploy to carry out military action against President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Russia on Friday accused the United States of using aid deliveries to Venezuela as a ploy to carry out military action against President Nicolas Maduro's government. "A dangerous provocation, instigated and led by Washington, is planned for February 23," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, pointing to efforts by opposition leader Juan Guaido to pick up US aid being stockpiled on the Colombian border. Also read: China against forcefully sending aid to Venezuela, says Foreign ministry Guaido's plans to try to bring the aid across the border are aimed at provoking clashes, she said, to provide "a convenient pretext for conducting military action". Russia is a key supporter of Maduro's government and has repeatedly accused Washington of trying to carry out a coup in Venezuela. On Thursday, Guaido set out in a convoy to collect US-supplied food and medicine stockpiled in Colombia, vowing to bring in the aid by Saturday. Maduro has closed the border with Brazil to prevent the entry of aid and the military has beefed up security at the Colombian border. Zakharova alleged that the US had moved special forces and military equipment "closer to Venezuelan territory" and was considering large-scale weapons purchases to arm the opposition. Noting that it had been five years since the Ukrainian revolution that ousted a Russian-backed leader -- which Moscow has accused the US of orchestrating -- Zakharova said Washington was preparing for more regime change in Venezuela. "It seems that in Washington there is nothing to mark the fifth anniversary of the coup d'etat in Ukraine, so they decided to hold a new coup d'etat," she said. She warned that a US military intervention in Venezuela would lead to a "sharp increase in tensions" around the world. Shipments of food and medicine for Venezuelans suffering in the country's economic crisis have become a focus of the power struggle between Maduro and Guaido. Maduro has said Russia was providing 300 tonnes of aid but Moscow has not provided details. Russian news agencies reported that Venezuela's Minister of Industries and National Production Tareck El Aissami would visit Moscow on Friday to meet with Russian officials. A source quoted by the Interfax news agency said talks would focus on "cooperation in trade and the economy".

Russia says US aid to Venezuela a 'pretext for military action'

China said Friday it was against forcefully sending "so-called humanitarian assistance" to Venezuela, warning it could spark conflict in the crisis-torn country.

China has loaned billions to Venezuela and has remained committed to President Nicolas Maduro even as the country has fallen deeper into economic crisis.

Foreign aid mostly from the US has piled up on Venezuela's borders as the Maduro government refuses to let it into the country.&nbsp;

"If the so-called humanitarian assistance were forcefully sent to Venezuela it might trigger conflict and lead to serious consequences," said China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

"This is not what anyone wants to see," Geng said.

"China is against military intervention in Venezuela and against any behaviour that might cause escalation or turmoil," he told reporters.&nbsp;

Opposition leader and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido have vowed to bring aid in from various points Saturday "one way or another" despite military efforts to block it.

Shipments of food and medicine for Venezuelans suffering in the country's economic crisis have become a focus of the power struggle between Maduro and Guaido.

"We have noticed recently the Venezuelan government has been level-headed and exercised restraint to safeguard domestic peace and stability and effectively prevented large-scale conflict," Geng said.

Venezuela's military said it is on alert at its frontiers and has closed border crossings and suspended air and sea links with the nearby island of Curacao ahead of the expected aid shipment.

The White House said Vice President Mike Pence would visit neighbouring Colombia on Monday in a show of support for Guaido.&nbsp;

The US has repeatedly said "all options," including military, are on the table.

China said Friday it was against forcefully sending "so-called humanitarian assistance" to Venezuela, warning it could spark conflict in the crisis-torn country.

China said Friday it was against forcefully sending "so-called humanitarian assistance" to Venezuela, warning it could spark conflict in the crisis-torn country. China has loaned billions to Venezuela and has remained committed to President Nicolas Maduro even as the country has fallen deeper into economic crisis. Foreign aid mostly from the US has piled up on Venezuela's borders as the Maduro government refuses to let it into the country. "If the so-called humanitarian assistance were forcefully sent to Venezuela it might trigger conflict and lead to serious consequences," said China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. "This is not what anyone wants to see," Geng said. "China is against military intervention in Venezuela and against any behaviour that might cause escalation or turmoil," he told reporters. Opposition leader and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido have vowed to bring aid in from various points Saturday "one way or another" despite military efforts to block it. Shipments of food and medicine for Venezuelans suffering in the country's economic crisis have become a focus of the power struggle between Maduro and Guaido. "We have noticed recently the Venezuelan government has been level-headed and exercised restraint to safeguard domestic peace and stability and effectively prevented large-scale conflict," Geng said. Venezuela's military said it is on alert at its frontiers and has closed border crossings and suspended air and sea links with the nearby island of Curacao ahead of the expected aid shipment. The White House said Vice President Mike Pence would visit neighbouring Colombia on Monday in a show of support for Guaido. The US has repeatedly said "all options," including military, are on the table.

China against forcefully sending aid to Venezuela: Foreign ministry

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday the government was considering closing the border with Colombia and would close the border with Brazil ahead of opposition plans to bring in humanitarian aid despite his objection.

In televised comments, Maduro said the stockpiling of aid for Venezuela in the Colombian border town of Cucuta was a "provocation". He argues the opposition's plans are a cheap show to undermine his government.

Maduro said the government would close the border with Brazil on Thursday night after the Brazilian government pledged to also send aid in.

According to a report by news agency, AFP the&nbsp;border with Brazil would be "completely and absolutely" closed from 8:00 pm (0000 GMT) "until further notice."

Venezuela<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/guaido-says-hes-trying-to-freeze-venezuelan-accounts-in-switzerland-198620"> President legitimacy has been in the crisis since January</a> after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself as an acting President. He also called the incumbent Nicolas Maduro's 2018 reelections invalid and the body that elevated him.

The crisis has sparked mass protest in the country with thousands of people demonstrating against Maduro.

However, Maduro's government says, the current crisis is a coup attempt led by the United States to topple him and control the country's vast oil reserves.

Most Western countries, including the United States, have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, but Maduro retains the backing of Russia and China as well as control of state institutions including the military.

Earlier this week, Trump&nbsp;urged Venezuela's military&nbsp;to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-tells-venezuela-military-to-back-opposition-leader-guaido-or-lose-everything-198182">accept Guaido's amnesty offer, or stand to "lose everything,"</a> as the presidency crisis deepened over Maduro's refusal to let in desperately needed humanitarian aid sent by the US.

Guaido has ordered the armed forces to let the aid pass, but they remain loyal to Maduro's regime.

Three US military cargo planes delivered several dozen tons of food assistance to Cucuta on Saturday. Another US aircraft is due in Curacao from Miami on Tuesday.

Maduro has dismissed the humanitarian assistance as "crumbs" and "rotten and contaminated food," while blaming shortages of food and medicine on US sanctions.

(With inputs from agencies)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday the government was considering closing the border with Colombia and would close the border with Brazil ahead of opposition plans to bring in humanitarian aid despite his objection.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday the government was considering closing the border with Colombia and would close the border with Brazil ahead of opposition plans to bring in humanitarian aid despite his objection. In televised comments, Maduro said the stockpiling of aid for Venezuela in the Colombian border town of Cucuta was a "provocation". He argues the opposition's plans are a cheap show to undermine his government. Maduro said the government would close the border with Brazil on Thursday night after the Brazilian government pledged to also send aid in. According to a report by news agency, AFP the border with Brazil would be "completely and absolutely" closed from 8:00 pm (0000 GMT) "until further notice." Venezuela President legitimacy has been in the crisis since January after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself as an acting President. He also called the incumbent Nicolas Maduro's 2018 reelections invalid and the body that elevated him. The crisis has sparked mass protest in the country with thousands of people demonstrating against Maduro. However, Maduro's government says, the current crisis is a coup attempt led by the United States to topple him and control the country's vast oil reserves. Most Western countries, including the United States, have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, but Maduro retains the backing of Russia and China as well as control of state institutions including the military. Earlier this week, Trump urged Venezuela's military to accept Guaido's amnesty offer, or stand to "lose everything," as the presidency crisis deepened over Maduro's refusal to let in desperately needed humanitarian aid sent by the US. Guaido has ordered the armed forces to let the aid pass, but they remain loyal to Maduro's regime. Three US military cargo planes delivered several dozen tons of food assistance to Cucuta on Saturday. Another US aircraft is due in Curacao from Miami on Tuesday. Maduro has dismissed the humanitarian assistance as "crumbs" and "rotten and contaminated food," while blaming shortages of food and medicine on US sanctions. (With inputs from agencies)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to close border with Brazil 'until further notice'

Venezuelan security forces have executed several people and arbitrarily detained hundreds of others in a campaign to punish people who protested against President Nicolas Maduro, human rights group Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

In a report titled "Hunger, punishment and fear, the formula for repression in Venezuela," Amnesty said dozens died during five days of protests from Jan 21 to Jan 25, almost all from gunshot wounds, and 900 people were arrested.

Amnesty called on the UN Human Rights Council to take action to address the "total impunity that prevails in Venezuela" by creating an independent investigative body to report on the human rights situation.

The protests were sparked by opposition leader Juan Guaido's call for people to demand a change in government after Maduro began a second term following a vote last year widely considered as fraudulent. Guaido on Jan. 23 invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, though Maduro says Guaido is leading a U.S.-directed coup against him.

"The authorities under Nicolas Maduro are trying to use fear and punishment to impose a repulsive strategy of social control against those who demand change," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty.

"His government is attacking the most impoverished people that it claims to defend, but instead it murders, detains and threatens them."

Venezuela's Information Ministry did not respond to a request to comment.

Amnesty said state authorities carried out extrajudicial executions as a method of social control, mainly using the National Police's Special Actions Force (FAES) to target poor areas that had risen up against Maduro.

The FAES have carried out dozens of deadly raids in recent weeks. The unit has said reports of abuses are "fake news" spread by right-wing opponents and their "struggle is against all criminals that ravage our communities."

Amnesty said 41 people had died, mostly from gunshot wounds, in protests in late January. It said it had documented six extrajudicial executions by the FAES of young men linked to the protests.

In one case in the city of Carora, Amnesty said, police beat up Luis Enrique Ramos Suarez, 29, at his home where 10 relatives were present, shot him dead and then staged a mock shoot out to cover up the killing.

Amnesty recommended that prosecutors at the International Criminal Court should consider the facts in its report and possibly incorporate them in a preliminary examination already underway on Venezuela.

Venezuelan security forces have executed several people and arbitrarily detained hundreds of others in a campaign to punish people who protested against President Nicolas Maduro, human rights group Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

Venezuelan security forces have executed several people and arbitrarily detained hundreds of others in a campaign to punish people who protested against President Nicolas Maduro, human rights group Amnesty International said on Wednesday. In a report titled "Hunger, punishment and fear, the formula for repression in Venezuela," Amnesty said dozens died during five days of protests from Jan 21 to Jan 25, almost all from gunshot wounds, and 900 people were arrested. Amnesty called on the UN Human Rights Council to take action to address the "total impunity that prevails in Venezuela" by creating an independent investigative body to report on the human rights situation. The protests were sparked by opposition leader Juan Guaido's call for people to demand a change in government after Maduro began a second term following a vote last year widely considered as fraudulent. Guaido on Jan. 23 invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, though Maduro says Guaido is leading a U.S.-directed coup against him. "The authorities under Nicolas Maduro are trying to use fear and punishment to impose a repulsive strategy of social control against those who demand change," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty. "His government is attacking the most impoverished people that it claims to defend, but instead it murders, detains and threatens them." Venezuela's Information Ministry did not respond to a request to comment. Amnesty said state authorities carried out extrajudicial executions as a method of social control, mainly using the National Police's Special Actions Force (FAES) to target poor areas that had risen up against Maduro. The FAES have carried out dozens of deadly raids in recent weeks. The unit has said reports of abuses are "fake news" spread by right-wing opponents and their "struggle is against all criminals that ravage our communities." Amnesty said 41 people had died, mostly from gunshot wounds, in protests in late January. It said it had documented six extrajudicial executions by the FAES of young men linked to the protests. In one case in the city of Carora, Amnesty said, police beat up Luis Enrique Ramos Suarez, 29, at his home where 10 relatives were present, shot him dead and then staged a mock shoot out to cover up the killing. Amnesty recommended that prosecutors at the International Criminal Court should consider the facts in its report and possibly incorporate them in a preliminary examination already underway on Venezuela.

Venezuela security forces kill, punish anti-Maduro protesters: Amnesty

Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been strained since the late Hugo Chávez rose to power two decades ago. They got worse when the Trump administration recognised opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the South American country’s president instead of Chávez successor Nicolás Maduro in January 2019.

These tensions could become a full-blown crisis, as has become clear along the Venezuela-Colombia border, where Maduro is blocking the entry of US humanitarian aid. The United States says it is sending $20 million in food and medical supplies to alleviate suffering at a time when Venezuelans are experiencing widespread malnutrition and lack access to health care. Maduro contends that these shipments are a plot to meddle in his country’s internal affairs – a Trojan horse courtesy of Uncle Sam to undermine Venezuelan democracy.

Although there is no clear evidence of an ulterior motive, history does give Maduro reasons to be skeptical of US intentions. As a political scientist who studies both the political ramifications of international assistance and Venezuela’s growing instability, I find that humanitarian aid is rarely just about saving lives. In Venezuela, I believe that US-supplied aid may have substantial political consequences.

A foreign policy tool

USAID, the primary federal aid agency in the US, officially operates independently. However, in practice it has worked closely with the State Department, and the Trump administration discussed making it part of the department when Rex Tillerson served as secretary of state.

The US government generally considers aid and development assistance as part of their broader foreign policy. The State Department officially calls USAID an “important contributor to the objectives of the National Security Strategy of the United States.” In other words, USAID’s work abroad is at least partially intended to safeguard American security and promote US interests.

President Donald Trump recently told the UN General Assembly that the US is “only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends,” a statement that appeared to be a threat to cut off American assistance to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador unless they curb the flow of US-bound asylum-seekers and other immigrants.

The US gives those three countries a total of about $450 million a year in foreign aid and the Trump administration has pledged additional funds to slow the flow of people across the border.

Using aid to advance the national interest is not new.

In 2001, when the war in Afghanistan got underway, the Bush administration used aid to complement the military effort to prevent terrorism. Because Afghanistan had harboured Osama bin Laden and others tied to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, USAID got a broad mandate and billions of dollars to help win the hearts and minds of Afghans. That policy was essentially a bet that once military intervention had defused the hostilities, Afghans would have a more favourable view of the US – reducing the risk that terrorists would use Afghanistan as a launching pad.

USAID has also played an explicit role in attempting to win hearts and minds in Iraq in the early 2000s, Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, and elsewhere.

(Morten Wendelbo is Research Fellow, American University School of Public Affairs)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-maduro-is-blocking-venezuela-bound-humanitarian-aid-when-so-many-people-in-his-country-need-it-111585">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been strained since the late Hugo Chávez rose to power two decades ago. They got worse when the Trump administration recognised opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the South American country’s president instead of Chávez successor Nicolás Maduro in January 2019.

Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been strained since the late Hugo Chávez rose to power two decades ago. They got worse when the Trump administration recognised opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the South American country’s president instead of Chávez successor Nicolás Maduro in January 2019. These tensions could become a full-blown crisis, as has become clear along the Venezuela-Colombia border, where Maduro is blocking the entry of US humanitarian aid. The United States says it is sending $20 million in food and medical supplies to alleviate suffering at a time when Venezuelans are experiencing widespread malnutrition and lack access to health care. Maduro contends that these shipments are a plot to meddle in his country’s internal affairs – a Trojan horse courtesy of Uncle Sam to undermine Venezuelan democracy. Although there is no clear evidence of an ulterior motive, history does give Maduro reasons to be skeptical of US intentions. As a political scientist who studies both the political ramifications of international assistance and Venezuela’s growing instability, I find that humanitarian aid is rarely just about saving lives. In Venezuela, I believe that US-supplied aid may have substantial political consequences. A foreign policy tool USAID, the primary federal aid agency in the US, officially operates independently. However, in practice it has worked closely with the State Department, and the Trump administration discussed making it part of the department when Rex Tillerson served as secretary of state. The US government generally considers aid and development assistance as part of their broader foreign policy. The State Department officially calls USAID an “important contributor to the objectives of the National Security Strategy of the United States.” In other words, USAID’s work abroad is at least partially intended to safeguard American security and promote US interests. President Donald Trump recently told the UN General Assembly that the US is “only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends,” a statement that appeared to be a threat to cut off American assistance to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador unless they curb the flow of US-bound asylum-seekers and other immigrants. The US gives those three countries a total of about $450 million a year in foreign aid and the Trump administration has pledged additional funds to slow the flow of people across the border. Using aid to advance the national interest is not new. In 2001, when the war in Afghanistan got underway, the Bush administration used aid to complement the military effort to prevent terrorism. Because Afghanistan had harboured Osama bin Laden and others tied to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, USAID got a broad mandate and billions of dollars to help win the hearts and minds of Afghans. That policy was essentially a bet that once military intervention had defused the hostilities, Afghans would have a more favourable view of the US – reducing the risk that terrorists would use Afghanistan as a launching pad. USAID has also played an explicit role in attempting to win hearts and minds in Iraq in the early 2000s, Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, and elsewhere. (Morten Wendelbo is Research Fellow, American University School of Public Affairs) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Venezuela crisis: US-supplied humanitarian aid may have a political motive

Thousands of volunteers in Venezuela will begin mobilising on Sunday to bring American aid into their crisis-hit country despite a blockade by President Nicolas Maduro who claims the assistance could be cover for a US invasion.

Once-wealthy Venezuela is gripped by a power struggle between socialist leader Maduro and Juan Guaido, the head of the National Assembly who proclaimed himself interim president last month and now has the backing of more than 50 countries.&nbsp;

But even as the political battle pitting Guaido against Maduro continued to deepen, Caracas confirmed talks had taken place with an envoy for US President Donald Trump's administration.

The oil-rich country's economic meltdown under Maduro has left millions in poverty facing shortages of medicine and food, with hyperinflation making purchases impossible.

US aid that has been piling up in the Colombian border town of Cucuta has become the frontline of the confrontation between Guaido and Maduro.

"Venezuela is preparing for the humanitarian avalanche," Guaido told about 4,000 supporters clad in white T-shirts and green scarves who gathered Saturday to sign up as volunteers.

The throng included doctors, nurses and students.

Six hundred thousand people have registered to help bring aid in through border points, Guaido told the Caracas rally, asking the volunteers to meet in town councils on Sunday to get instructions about the process.

Without revealing details that could jeopardize the operation, Guaido said volunteer brigades will travel in a bus caravan to entry points for the aid which he wants to come in next Saturday.

Coromoto Crespo, 58, told AFP he volunteered because of the urgent need for supplies.

"To find medicines requires a miracle. I need tablets for high blood pressure, and what I find, I can't pay for," Crespo said.

"One of my relatives died because of a lack of antibiotics."

Guaido has targeted February 23 for entry of the aid, more of which arrived for the stockpile on Saturday. Three US military cargo planes delivered several dozen more tons (tonnes) of food assistance to Cucuta.&nbsp;

Another US aircraft is due in the Caribbean island of Curacao from Miami on Tuesday, and a collection centre for Brazilian aid will open Monday on the border, Guaido's team said.

The US shipment Saturday was accompanied by a delegation led by Mark Green, head of the US Agency for International Development.&nbsp;

US assistance has been blocked by containers which Maduro loyalists placed on a border bridge to prevent access.

On another front, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza confirmed having held two meetings with special US envoy Elliott Abrams. Arreaza, who traveled to New York on February 13, said he held the talks with Abrams at the request of the State Department. He declined to comment on the substance of their discussions.

Guaido repeated his call on Venezuela's military -- whose support for Maduro has been crucial -- to let the aid pass.

"You have, in your hands, the possibility of fighting alongside the people who are suffering the same shortages you are," Guaido said in a tweet addressed to soldiers.

A State Department spokeswoman, Julie Chung, issued a similar plea during a news conference in Cucuta, urging the military to stand aside at a time when Venezuelans are "dying of hunger."&nbsp;

'Crumbs' and 'rotten food'

Maduro asserts that aid could be used as a way for the United States to invade. He called for reinforced border security and dismissed the arriving "crumbs" as "rotten and contaminated food."

On Friday Maduro instructed his army to prepare a "special deployment plan" for the 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border with Colombia. He said he would examine "what new forces" might be needed to keep the frontier "inviolable."&nbsp;

Maduro has assailed the US aid as a "show" but Arreaza said he would be willing to meet with "the devil" if it helped ensure Venezuelan sovereignty.

About 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2015 as the crisis intensified, according to the United Nations.

Guaido accuses Maduro of being a "usurper" over his controversial reelection last year in polls widely branded as fraudulent.

Maduro, the hand-picked successor to socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez, blames Venezuela's woes on US sanctions, more of which were added on Friday.

He said six million families had benefited from subsidized food boxes and he claimed to have bought 933 tons of medicines and medical supplies from China, Cuba and Russia, his main international allies.

"We paid for it with our own money because we're beggars to no one," Maduro said.

Thousands of volunteers in Venezuela will begin mobilising on Sunday to bring American aid into their crisis-hit country despite a blockade by President Nicolas Maduro who claims the assistance could be cover for a US invasion.

Thousands of volunteers in Venezuela will begin mobilising on Sunday to bring American aid into their crisis-hit country despite a blockade by President Nicolas Maduro who claims the assistance could be cover for a US invasion. Once-wealthy Venezuela is gripped by a power struggle between socialist leader Maduro and Juan Guaido, the head of the National Assembly who proclaimed himself interim president last month and now has the backing of more than 50 countries. But even as the political battle pitting Guaido against Maduro continued to deepen, Caracas confirmed talks had taken place with an envoy for US President Donald Trump's administration. The oil-rich country's economic meltdown under Maduro has left millions in poverty facing shortages of medicine and food, with hyperinflation making purchases impossible. US aid that has been piling up in the Colombian border town of Cucuta has become the frontline of the confrontation between Guaido and Maduro. "Venezuela is preparing for the humanitarian avalanche," Guaido told about 4,000 supporters clad in white T-shirts and green scarves who gathered Saturday to sign up as volunteers. The throng included doctors, nurses and students. Six hundred thousand people have registered to help bring aid in through border points, Guaido told the Caracas rally, asking the volunteers to meet in town councils on Sunday to get instructions about the process. Without revealing details that could jeopardize the operation, Guaido said volunteer brigades will travel in a bus caravan to entry points for the aid which he wants to come in next Saturday. Coromoto Crespo, 58, told AFP he volunteered because of the urgent need for supplies. "To find medicines requires a miracle. I need tablets for high blood pressure, and what I find, I can't pay for," Crespo said. "One of my relatives died because of a lack of antibiotics." Guaido has targeted February 23 for entry of the aid, more of which arrived for the stockpile on Saturday. Three US military cargo planes delivered several dozen more tons (tonnes) of food assistance to Cucuta. Another US aircraft is due in the Caribbean island of Curacao from Miami on Tuesday, and a collection centre for Brazilian aid will open Monday on the border, Guaido's team said. The US shipment Saturday was accompanied by a delegation led by Mark Green, head of the US Agency for International Development. US assistance has been blocked by containers which Maduro loyalists placed on a border bridge to prevent access. On another front, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza confirmed having held two meetings with special US envoy Elliott Abrams. Arreaza, who traveled to New York on February 13, said he held the talks with Abrams at the request of the State Department. He declined to comment on the substance of their discussions. Guaido repeated his call on Venezuela's military -- whose support for Maduro has been crucial -- to let the aid pass. "You have, in your hands, the possibility of fighting alongside the people who are suffering the same shortages you are," Guaido said in a tweet addressed to soldiers. A State Department spokeswoman, Julie Chung, issued a similar plea during a news conference in Cucuta, urging the military to stand aside at a time when Venezuelans are "dying of hunger." 'Crumbs' and 'rotten food' Maduro asserts that aid could be used as a way for the United States to invade. He called for reinforced border security and dismissed the arriving "crumbs" as "rotten and contaminated food." On Friday Maduro instructed his army to prepare a "special deployment plan" for the 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border with Colombia. He said he would examine "what new forces" might be needed to keep the frontier "inviolable." Maduro has assailed the US aid as a "show" but Arreaza said he would be willing to meet with "the devil" if it helped ensure Venezuelan sovereignty. About 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2015 as the crisis intensified, according to the United Nations. Guaido accuses Maduro of being a "usurper" over his controversial reelection last year in polls widely branded as fraudulent. Maduro, the hand-picked successor to socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez, blames Venezuela's woes on US sanctions, more of which were added on Friday. He said six million families had benefited from subsidized food boxes and he claimed to have bought 933 tons of medicines and medical supplies from China, Cuba and Russia, his main international allies. "We paid for it with our own money because we're beggars to no one," Maduro said.

Thousands of Venezuela volunteers begin preparing US aid entry

More US aid for Venezuela touches down amid distribution uncertainty

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, February 15, 2019

By Pia Riggirozzi 
 
Long before the current crisis in Venezuela, democracy in Latin America was a damaged project. Military coups d’etat and other violent seizures of power in the 1960s and 1970s were followed by weak attempts at redemocratisation. Efforts to institutionalise social rights, particularly those based on state intervention in the economy, provoked a hostile reaction from domestic and foreign markets.

Democratic attempts often faced hurdles caused by profound socio-economic restructuring and severe cuts in public spending – with national budgets linked closely to the global economy. Democracy was also highly dependent on markets.

During the 1980s, oil prices fell dramatically. In Venezuela, debt then skyrocketed, giving way to a dramatic political and economic crisis that was exacerbated by blatant corruption.

Then in 1998, Hugo Chávez was elected president – but with no fixed strategy of what an “anti-capitalist project” might entail. Instead, he took power at the end of a decade that had seen a catastrophic deterioration in living standards and the monopoly of conservative political parties.

Chávez was elected on his pledge to refound the republic in line with the vision of Simon Bolivar, who had liberated Venezuela from Spanish rule in the early 19th century. And for Chávez, over more than a decade his experiments seemed to work.

According to the World Bank, his social, political and economic reforms led to a spectacular 50 per cent reduction of poverty, and a 65 per cent drop in “extreme poverty” between 1998 and 2012.

These gains were mirrored by Venezuela’s neighbours, with Latin America successfully reducing poverty and promoting shared prosperity. The proportion of the region’s 600m people living in extreme poverty (defined as a daily income of less than $2.50) was cut in half between 2003 and 2012 to around 12 per cent.

In Venezuela, post-neoliberalism as a project (committed to the creation of non-market societies, economies and cultures) remained highly dependent on the oil bonanza, accumulating reserves which supported the use (and abuse) of social welfare regimes. Yet as it became increasingly caught in the international oil industry downturn, so too did the post-neoliberal project.

A state that failed the people

The halving of the oil price in 2014 sharply reversed the advances made in reducing poverty and inequality. Fatal food and medicines shortages, disease outbreaks and widespread social deprivation spiralled into an unprecedented social and economic crisis.

Now, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), nearly 90 per cent of Venezuelans live in poverty – a dramatic increase from an already alarming 48 per cent in 2014.

It would be politically naive to think that the promise of democracy in Venezuela was vulnerable purely because of an over-reliance on volatile oil industry. That was undoubtedly a fatal flaw, but Venezuela also failed to reconcile a deeply polarised society.

Since his election as president in 2013, Nicolás Maduro has failed to address chronic problems of economic mismanagement, poor planning, increasing social discontent, and corruption. His country has since undergone cycles of protest and repression that reinforced the social divide.

Human rights violations became systematic. There have been well-documented restrictions on social protest and freedom of expression, with extrajudicial detentions and arbitrary arrests of opponents. On top of this, a devastating humanitarian crisis has seen an exodus to neighbouring countries - Brazil and Colombia – in a scale never seen before. The number of arrivals from Venezuela to neighbouring countries has steadily increased, reaching 5,000 per day in early 2018.

To some, Venezuela had become a failed state, without the basic norms of democratic governance. Then on January 23 2019, Juan Guaidó, leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly, declared himself president of the republic.

Guaidó has long been an anti-government activist, but until recently was little known around the world – or even in Venezuela. Yet his move was quickly endorsed by several Latin American countries, as well as Canada and the United States. His self-claim to the presidency is quite problematic too: it draws legitimacy from “assertive politics” rather than from a direct democratic ballot. The end apparently justifies the means.

Power grab?

The argument seems to be that Maduro has ruined the Venezuelan economy, violated human rights of all sorts, repeatedly challenged the Venezuelan constitution himself, and was not freely or fairly re-elected in 2018.

Guaidó, therefore, alleges that Maduro “stole” power and the role of president has therefore been left vacant.

Meanwhile, the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, said the Venezuelan people have had “enough of the hunger and abuse suffered at the hands of Maduro”. And the Trump administration asserts that all countries must “pick a side” and back the “forces of freedom”.

But can an opposition leader – albeit with the support of foreign powers – simply state that the president of the country is not actually the president, and take power himself? If he can, how would Venezuelans be reassured that removing the “bad” president will not simply legitimise more politics of this “assertive” kind.

So for the moment, the country has been plunged into a situation whereby it has an internationally recognised government which has no democratic mandate from the people or control over state functions - yet it runs parallel to Maduro’s parliament, with a de facto presidential mandate yet a delusional and dangerous sense of authority.

This is not democracy. What Venezuela urgently needs is to reconstruct the foundations of political legitimacy beyond declarations. It requires electoral democracy and political consensus that can genuinely represent the people, deliver development, and reconstruct a sense of citizenship and belonging for its people.

 
(Pia Riggirozzi is Professor of Global Politics, University of Southampton)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/venezuela-is-putting-democracy-and-its-legitimacy-to-test-111466">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

By Pia Riggirozzi Long before the current crisis in Venezuela, democracy in Latin America was a damaged project. Military coups d’etat and other violent seizures of power in the 1960s and 1970s were followed by weak attempts at redemocratisation.

By Pia Riggirozzi Long before the current crisis in Venezuela, democracy in Latin America was a damaged project. Military coups d’etat and other violent seizures of power in the 1960s and 1970s were followed by weak attempts at redemocratisation. Efforts to institutionalise social rights, particularly those based on state intervention in the economy, provoked a hostile reaction from domestic and foreign markets. Democratic attempts often faced hurdles caused by profound socio-economic restructuring and severe cuts in public spending – with national budgets linked closely to the global economy. Democracy was also highly dependent on markets. During the 1980s, oil prices fell dramatically. In Venezuela, debt then skyrocketed, giving way to a dramatic political and economic crisis that was exacerbated by blatant corruption. Then in 1998, Hugo Chávez was elected president – but with no fixed strategy of what an “anti-capitalist project” might entail. Instead, he took power at the end of a decade that had seen a catastrophic deterioration in living standards and the monopoly of conservative political parties. Chávez was elected on his pledge to refound the republic in line with the vision of Simon Bolivar, who had liberated Venezuela from Spanish rule in the early 19th century. And for Chávez, over more than a decade his experiments seemed to work. According to the World Bank, his social, political and economic reforms led to a spectacular 50 per cent reduction of poverty, and a 65 per cent drop in “extreme poverty” between 1998 and 2012. These gains were mirrored by Venezuela’s neighbours, with Latin America successfully reducing poverty and promoting shared prosperity. The proportion of the region’s 600m people living in extreme poverty (defined as a daily income of less than $2.50) was cut in half between 2003 and 2012 to around 12 per cent. In Venezuela, post-neoliberalism as a project (committed to the creation of non-market societies, economies and cultures) remained highly dependent on the oil bonanza, accumulating reserves which supported the use (and abuse) of social welfare regimes. Yet as it became increasingly caught in the international oil industry downturn, so too did the post-neoliberal project. A state that failed the people The halving of the oil price in 2014 sharply reversed the advances made in reducing poverty and inequality. Fatal food and medicines shortages, disease outbreaks and widespread social deprivation spiralled into an unprecedented social and economic crisis. Now, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), nearly 90 per cent of Venezuelans live in poverty – a dramatic increase from an already alarming 48 per cent in 2014. It would be politically naive to think that the promise of democracy in Venezuela was vulnerable purely because of an over-reliance on volatile oil industry. That was undoubtedly a fatal flaw, but Venezuela also failed to reconcile a deeply polarised society. Since his election as president in 2013, Nicolás Maduro has failed to address chronic problems of economic mismanagement, poor planning, increasing social discontent, and corruption. His country has since undergone cycles of protest and repression that reinforced the social divide. Human rights violations became systematic. There have been well-documented restrictions on social protest and freedom of expression, with extrajudicial detentions and arbitrary arrests of opponents. On top of this, a devastating humanitarian crisis has seen an exodus to neighbouring countries - Brazil and Colombia – in a scale never seen before. The number of arrivals from Venezuela to neighbouring countries has steadily increased, reaching 5,000 per day in early 2018. To some, Venezuela had become a failed state, without the basic norms of democratic governance. Then on January 23 2019, Juan Guaidó, leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly, declared himself president of the republic. Guaidó has long been an anti-government activist, but until recently was little known around the world – or even in Venezuela. Yet his move was quickly endorsed by several Latin American countries, as well as Canada and the United States. His self-claim to the presidency is quite problematic too: it draws legitimacy from “assertive politics” rather than from a direct democratic ballot. The end apparently justifies the means. Power grab? The argument seems to be that Maduro has ruined the Venezuelan economy, violated human rights of all sorts, repeatedly challenged the Venezuelan constitution himself, and was not freely or fairly re-elected in 2018. Guaidó, therefore, alleges that Maduro “stole” power and the role of president has therefore been left vacant. Meanwhile, the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, said the Venezuelan people have had “enough of the hunger and abuse suffered at the hands of Maduro”. And the Trump administration asserts that all countries must “pick a side” and back the “forces of freedom”. But can an opposition leader – albeit with the support of foreign powers – simply state that the president of the country is not actually the president, and take power himself? If he can, how would Venezuelans be reassured that removing the “bad” president will not simply legitimise more politics of this “assertive” kind. So for the moment, the country has been plunged into a situation whereby it has an internationally recognised government which has no democratic mandate from the people or control over state functions - yet it runs parallel to Maduro’s parliament, with a de facto presidential mandate yet a delusional and dangerous sense of authority. This is not democracy. What Venezuela urgently needs is to reconstruct the foundations of political legitimacy beyond declarations. It requires electoral democracy and political consensus that can genuinely represent the people, deliver development, and reconstruct a sense of citizenship and belonging for its people. (Pia Riggirozzi is Professor of Global Politics, University of Southampton) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Venezuela crisis: Can Juan Guaido state that Nicolas Maduro is not the president, and seize power himself?

Russia and China joined Cuba, Iran, North Korea and dozens of other countries at the United Nations on Thursday to show support for Venezuela in its showdown with the United States.

Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters the newly-formed support group of about 50 countries would take action in the coming days "to raise awareness around the dangers that our people currently face."&nbsp;

"We all have the right to live without the threat of use of force and without application of illegal coercive unilateral measures," Arreaza told journalists, flanked by the ambassadors of several countries.

Among those at Arreaza's side were envoys from Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, North Korea, Syria along with the Palestinian representative and diplomats from Caribbean countries.

Arreaza did not provide details of the planned action but called on all UN nations to "join us in defending international law as the only guarantor for humanity's peaceful coexistence".

The United Nations has been divided between countries that support Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president on January 23, and those who back President Nicolas Maduro.

The United States is leading a push to recognize Guaido, backed by about 50 countries.

Washington has sent aid to the Colombian border with Venezuela but Maduro's government has refused to let the shipments, accusing the United States of using the relief packages as a political tool aimed at regime change.&nbsp;

Declaring himself "sad" about the "turmoil" in Venezuela, President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded that Maduro unblock US aid shipments and has refused to rule out military action.

Venezuela's economy is in a tailspin marked by hyperinflation and shortages of basic necessities that the opposition blames on corruption and mismanagement by the Maduro government.

Caracas maintains that US sanctions are to blame for the economic meltdown.

Russia and China joined Cuba, Iran, North Korea and dozens of other countries at the United Nations on Thursday to show support for Venezuela in its showdown with the United States.

Russia and China joined Cuba, Iran, North Korea and dozens of other countries at the United Nations on Thursday to show support for Venezuela in its showdown with the United States. Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters the newly-formed support group of about 50 countries would take action in the coming days "to raise awareness around the dangers that our people currently face." "We all have the right to live without the threat of use of force and without application of illegal coercive unilateral measures," Arreaza told journalists, flanked by the ambassadors of several countries. Among those at Arreaza's side were envoys from Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, North Korea, Syria along with the Palestinian representative and diplomats from Caribbean countries. Arreaza did not provide details of the planned action but called on all UN nations to "join us in defending international law as the only guarantor for humanity's peaceful coexistence". The United Nations has been divided between countries that support Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president on January 23, and those who back President Nicolas Maduro. The United States is leading a push to recognize Guaido, backed by about 50 countries. Washington has sent aid to the Colombian border with Venezuela but Maduro's government has refused to let the shipments, accusing the United States of using the relief packages as a political tool aimed at regime change. Declaring himself "sad" about the "turmoil" in Venezuela, President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded that Maduro unblock US aid shipments and has refused to rule out military action. Venezuela's economy is in a tailspin marked by hyperinflation and shortages of basic necessities that the opposition blames on corruption and mismanagement by the Maduro government. Caracas maintains that US sanctions are to blame for the economic meltdown.

Venezuela enlists 50 countries at UN to show support

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-colombian-president-meet-over-venezuela-crisis-197229">President Donald Trump </a>on Wednesday was mum on whether the United States would deploy 5,000 troops to Colombia to exert more pressure on Venezuela's leftist government but said he had many options for securing regime change.

"Our militaries are very focused and working together. And let's see how it all turns out," Trump told reporters during a meeting with Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque at the White House's Oval Office.

"We're going to make things turn out well. That's what we do. We make things work."

One of the reporters asked Trump about the controversial phrase "5,000 troops to Colombia" that could be read on a legal pad that National Security Adviser John Bolton carried into a press briefing on new Venezuela sanctions late last month.

"You'll see," Trump merely said, having earlier stated that he never talks about troop deployments. "There are a number of different solutions, a number of different options. And we look at all options."

Asked if he has a plan B if Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not hand over power to the speaker of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, Juan Guaido, who in January proclaimed himself to be the country's legitimate head of state, Trump said he always has "plan B - and C, and D, and E, and F."

"I have great flexibility. I probably have more flexibility than any man that's ever been in this office."

The United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and France are among the countries that say Maduro's May 2018 re-election victory was a sham and have recognized Guaido as the interim president of oil-rich Venezuela.

"A lot of things are happening in Venezuela that people don't know about. And there's a lot of support for what we're doing ... tremendous support," Trump said.

"I have great respect for the man that most people, many people, think is the real president," Trump said about Guaido, though without mentioning him by name.

"He's very brave ... I've seen what's happened in the streets and I've seen what's happened with executions, so I really give him a lot of credit. And I think it's going to work out very well."

Referring to a plan to deliver US humanitarian aid via Colombia to Venezuela, which has been racked by longstanding shortages of basic goods and hyperinflation, Trump said Maduro was "making a terrible mistake" in using his military to attempt to stop those supplies from entering.

Maduro says the US - which stepped up its pressure on Venezuela by imposing severe sanctions it's oil industry late last month - is to blame for the country's economic woes and says the offer of humanitarian assistance is a pretext for a military invasion.

"They have to be able to let the food in. And in many cases, it's getting in. They blocked one of the bridges, but they haven't been able to block the others. They'd like to try," Trump said.

Asked whether the US would be prepared to offer Maduro amnesty if he relinquishes power, Trump said that option had not been considered.

Duque, for his part, said Maduro's refusal to allow the entry of humanitarian aid constituted a "crime against humanity."

"I am very happy that the diplomatic blockade is working like no time before it, and I think the days for this dictatorship are about to end. We have to continue working in those lines," the Colombian president said.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday was mum on whether the United States would deploy 5,000 troops to Colombia to exert more pressure on Venezuela's leftist government but said he had many options for securing regime change.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday was mum on whether the United States would deploy 5,000 troops to Colombia to exert more pressure on Venezuela's leftist government but said he had many options for securing regime change. "Our militaries are very focused and working together. And let's see how it all turns out," Trump told reporters during a meeting with Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque at the White House's Oval Office. "We're going to make things turn out well. That's what we do. We make things work." One of the reporters asked Trump about the controversial phrase "5,000 troops to Colombia" that could be read on a legal pad that National Security Adviser John Bolton carried into a press briefing on new Venezuela sanctions late last month. "You'll see," Trump merely said, having earlier stated that he never talks about troop deployments. "There are a number of different solutions, a number of different options. And we look at all options." Asked if he has a plan B if Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not hand over power to the speaker of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, Juan Guaido, who in January proclaimed himself to be the country's legitimate head of state, Trump said he always has "plan B - and C, and D, and E, and F." "I have great flexibility. I probably have more flexibility than any man that's ever been in this office." The United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and France are among the countries that say Maduro's May 2018 re-election victory was a sham and have recognized Guaido as the interim president of oil-rich Venezuela. "A lot of things are happening in Venezuela that people don't know about. And there's a lot of support for what we're doing ... tremendous support," Trump said. "I have great respect for the man that most people, many people, think is the real president," Trump said about Guaido, though without mentioning him by name. "He's very brave ... I've seen what's happened in the streets and I've seen what's happened with executions, so I really give him a lot of credit. And I think it's going to work out very well." Referring to a plan to deliver US humanitarian aid via Colombia to Venezuela, which has been racked by longstanding shortages of basic goods and hyperinflation, Trump said Maduro was "making a terrible mistake" in using his military to attempt to stop those supplies from entering. Maduro says the US - which stepped up its pressure on Venezuela by imposing severe sanctions it's oil industry late last month - is to blame for the country's economic woes and says the offer of humanitarian assistance is a pretext for a military invasion. "They have to be able to let the food in. And in many cases, it's getting in. They blocked one of the bridges, but they haven't been able to block the others. They'd like to try," Trump said. Asked whether the US would be prepared to offer Maduro amnesty if he relinquishes power, Trump said that option had not been considered. Duque, for his part, said Maduro's refusal to allow the entry of humanitarian aid constituted a "crime against humanity." "I am very happy that the diplomatic blockade is working like no time before it, and I think the days for this dictatorship are about to end. We have to continue working in those lines," the Colombian president said.

I have plan B, plan C and plan D on Venezuela, says Trump

President Donald Trump hosts his Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque at the White House on Wednesday to discuss their campaign to pressure Venezuela's far left president, Nicolas Maduro, from power.

The Trump-Duque talks in the Oval Office, followed by lunch, will give the allies a chance to compare notes just as the standoff between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido heats up over the arrival of mostly US aid shipments.

Washington has thrown its full weight behind Guaido, recognizing him as interim president, demanding that Maduro step aside, imposing sanctions, and even threatening the "option" of military intervention.

Colombia plays a crucial role because it has taken in the lion's share of the more than two million Venezuelans fleeing chaos, poverty and political violence under Maduro.

Now, Colombia is the staging post for US and other foreign humanitarian aid that Maduro is refusing to allow in, saying it would be a precursor to US military action.

At a huge opposition rally on Tuesday, Guaido vowed "it's sure that the humanitarian aid will enter" on February 23. "We have almost 300,000 Venezuelans who will die if the aid doesn't enter."

Trump's hawkish national security advisor John Bolton on Wednesday tweeted that "Maduro would rather stand for tyranny than ... accept aid for the Venezuelan people."

Guaido has been recognized as interim president by 50 countries.

But Maduro, whose government has the financial and political backing of China and Russia, has so far resisted the intensifying US pressure, portraying himself in the mold of historic Latin American anti-imperialist leaders.

Moscow weighed in on Tuesday, with Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov warning "against all interference in Venezuela's domestic affairs, including the use of force threatened by Washington."

Country in collapse

Venezuela has the world's biggest oil reserves but its once-thriving economy has fallen into ruin under the long-running leftist government.

Venezuelans face shortages of even basic necessities such as food and medicine and some 2.3 million people have fled since 2015, their salaries and savings rendered worthless by hyperinflation.

Maduro, who gets crucial backing from the country's powerful armed forces, denies there is a humanitarian emergency and has branded the crisis a "political show" and pretext for a US-led invasion.

Now, the focus of the struggle between Maduro and Guaido has turned to the aid shipments. Tons of aid are piling up in Colombian collection centers at the border.

On Tuesday, Guaido insisted that the border be opened.

"Here is a direct order to the armed forces: allow in the humanitarian aid once and for all (and) end the repression," he said.

Guaido's team has also met with Brazilian officials to set up a second aid storage center. The new right-wing government of President Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, which took over in January after more than a decade of leftist rule there, has joined the coalition against Maduro.

President Donald Trump hosts his Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque at the White House on Wednesday to discuss their campaign to pressure Venezuela's far left president, Nicolas Maduro, from power.

President Donald Trump hosts his Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque at the White House on Wednesday to discuss their campaign to pressure Venezuela's far left president, Nicolas Maduro, from power. The Trump-Duque talks in the Oval Office, followed by lunch, will give the allies a chance to compare notes just as the standoff between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido heats up over the arrival of mostly US aid shipments. Washington has thrown its full weight behind Guaido, recognizing him as interim president, demanding that Maduro step aside, imposing sanctions, and even threatening the "option" of military intervention. Colombia plays a crucial role because it has taken in the lion's share of the more than two million Venezuelans fleeing chaos, poverty and political violence under Maduro. Now, Colombia is the staging post for US and other foreign humanitarian aid that Maduro is refusing to allow in, saying it would be a precursor to US military action. At a huge opposition rally on Tuesday, Guaido vowed "it's sure that the humanitarian aid will enter" on February 23. "We have almost 300,000 Venezuelans who will die if the aid doesn't enter." Trump's hawkish national security advisor John Bolton on Wednesday tweeted that "Maduro would rather stand for tyranny than ... accept aid for the Venezuelan people." Guaido has been recognized as interim president by 50 countries. But Maduro, whose government has the financial and political backing of China and Russia, has so far resisted the intensifying US pressure, portraying himself in the mold of historic Latin American anti-imperialist leaders. Moscow weighed in on Tuesday, with Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov warning "against all interference in Venezuela's domestic affairs, including the use of force threatened by Washington." Country in collapse Venezuela has the world's biggest oil reserves but its once-thriving economy has fallen into ruin under the long-running leftist government. Venezuelans face shortages of even basic necessities such as food and medicine and some 2.3 million people have fled since 2015, their salaries and savings rendered worthless by hyperinflation. Maduro, who gets crucial backing from the country's powerful armed forces, denies there is a humanitarian emergency and has branded the crisis a "political show" and pretext for a US-led invasion. Now, the focus of the struggle between Maduro and Guaido has turned to the aid shipments. Tons of aid are piling up in Colombian collection centers at the border. On Tuesday, Guaido insisted that the border be opened. "Here is a direct order to the armed forces: allow in the humanitarian aid once and for all (and) end the repression," he said. Guaido's team has also met with Brazilian officials to set up a second aid storage center. The new right-wing government of President Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, which took over in January after more than a decade of leftist rule there, has joined the coalition against Maduro.

Trump, Colombian president meet over Venezuela crisis

WION Fineprint, 13th February, 2019

WION Fineprint, 12th February, 2019

Fineprint: Hundreds of Venezuelans protest against Maduro

Blocking aid from reaching Venezuelans 'almost genocidal': Guaido

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