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Mexico City
Venezuelan soldiers at the Colombian border were preventing the entry of a humanitarian aid convoy carrying 100 tons of food, medicines and hygiene items from entering the country for the second day running on Saturday.
The 10 lorries carrying the aid have been stuck in the Colombian border city of Cucuta since Thursday, but self-declared interim president Juan Guaido said on Twitter that he was nonetheless working on a plan to distribute the items to impoverished citizens.
Guaido - who quickly won US backing and support from Latin American and European countries after declaring himself head of state last month - is demanding the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro, who won an election widely criticized as undemocratic last year.
Guaido says the aid will be sent to 300,000 Venezuelans suffering from acute food and medicine shortages. Maduro has presided over an economic collapse, with inflation expected to reach 10 million per cent this year and millions of Venezuelans forced to flee.
Maduro on Friday made it clear he would not let the aid through, dismissing it as a plot to stage a US military intervention in Venezuela and blaming the country’s goods shortages on sanctions from Washington.
In an interview, Guaido discussed the entry of foreign aid, contact with the military and whether he would be willing to allow the highly-controversial step of foreign military intervention. “We will do everything possible, once again, this is obviously a very, very controversial subject, but making use of our sovereignty and, within our jurisdictions, we will do what is necessary.”
“When we have sufficient supplies, we are going to make a first entry attempt. We know that there is a blockade in Tienditas (on the border with Colombia).”
“The armed forces have a huge dilemma, whether or not to accept the aid. It would be almost miserable at this point of huge necessity not to accept it. We have to go deeper into that, we saw a division general speak openly a few days ago, we saw some sergeants of the National Guard show discontent and they are being tortured.” “Part of what we have to overcome is explaining very well that (the armed forces) have a role in the reconstruction.”
“I am sure that Moscow and Beijing know the situation in venezuela really well: Maduro doesn’t have the popular support and he can’t stabilize the economy, which produced the world’s largest inflation of two million percent.”
“We are ready to talk with everyone, with a very specific agenda. Even The pope did not receive anyone from the government, he does not even take them into account anymore.”
Mexico City
Venezuelan soldiers at the Colombian border were preventing the entry of a humanitarian aid convoy carrying 100 tons of food, medicines and hygiene items from entering the country for the second day running on Saturday.
The 10 lorries carrying the aid have been stuck in the Colombian border city of Cucuta since Thursday, but self-declared interim president Juan Guaido said on Twitter that he was nonetheless working on a plan to distribute the items to impoverished citizens.
Guaido - who quickly won US backing and support from Latin American and European countries after declaring himself head of state last month - is demanding the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro, who won an election widely criticized as undemocratic last year.
Guaido says the aid will be sent to 300,000 Venezuelans suffering from acute food and medicine shortages. Maduro has presided over an economic collapse, with inflation expected to reach 10 million per cent this year and millions of Venezuelans forced to flee.
Maduro on Friday made it clear he would not let the aid through, dismissing it as a plot to stage a US military intervention in Venezuela and blaming the country’s goods shortages on sanctions from Washington.
In an interview, Guaido discussed the entry of foreign aid, contact with the military and whether he would be willing to allow the highly-controversial step of foreign military intervention. “We will do everything possible, once again, this is obviously a very, very controversial subject, but making use of our sovereignty and, within our jurisdictions, we will do what is necessary.”
“When we have sufficient supplies, we are going to make a first entry attempt. We know that there is a blockade in Tienditas (on the border with Colombia).”
“The armed forces have a huge dilemma, whether or not to accept the aid. It would be almost miserable at this point of huge necessity not to accept it. We have to go deeper into that, we saw a division general speak openly a few days ago, we saw some sergeants of the National Guard show discontent and they are being tortured.” “Part of what we have to overcome is explaining very well that (the armed forces) have a role in the reconstruction.”
“I am sure that Moscow and Beijing know the situation in venezuela really well: Maduro doesn’t have the popular support and he can’t stabilize the economy, which produced the world’s largest inflation of two million percent.”
“We are ready to talk with everyone, with a very specific agenda. Even The pope did not receive anyone from the government, he does not even take them into account anymore.”
