Latin America

Eugene

(61,974 posts) Sun Feb 17, 2019, 05:55 PM Feb 2019

U.S. Senator Rubio, other officials visit site of Venezuelan aid

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS FEBRUARY 17, 2019 / 3:07 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO

U.S. Senator Rubio, other officials visit site of Venezuelan aid

Steven Grattan
3 MIN READ

BOGOTA (Reuters) - A U.S. delegation including Senator Marco Rubio visited the Colombian border city of Cucuta on Sunday, where humanitarian aid is being stockpiled for planned delivery to economically crippled Venezuela next week.

While Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is refusing to allow in the food, medicine and other supplies, opposition leader and self-declared president Juan Guaido has vowed to move hundreds of tonnes of the aid into the country on Feb 23.

Guaido, who argues that Maduro’s 2018 re-election was a sham, invoked constitutional provisions to declare himself the country’s leader last month.

Most Western countries and many of Venezuela’s neighbors have recognized Guaido as the legitimate head of state, but Maduro retains the backing of Russia and China and control of Venezuelan state institutions including the military.

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U.S. Senator Rubio, other officials visit site of Venezuelan aid (Original Post) Eugene Feb 2019 OP

Marco Rubio warns Venezuelan soldiers to let aid enter Eugene Feb 2019 #1

Eugene

(61,974 posts)

1. Marco Rubio warns Venezuelan soldiers to let aid enter

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sun Feb 17, 2019, 09:03 PM

Feb 2019

Source: Associated Press

Marco Rubio warns Venezuelan soldiers to let aid enter

February 17, 2019

CUCUTA, Colombia (AP) — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on Sunday visited a border staging point for U.S. aid to Venezuela and warned soldiers loyal to socialist President Nicolas Maduro that would commit a “crime against humanity” if they block entry of the packages that are being channeled through Maduro’s rivals.

An enthusiastic throng of Venezuelan migrants, some chanting “Rubio! Liberty!” met the Florida Republican as he visited Cucuta and held a news conference in sight of a border bridge that has been flooded in recent months by Venezuelans people fleeing hardship in their own country.

The U.S. has used military and civilian aircraft to fly in food and personal care aid — an effort that is meant to undermine Maduro and dramatize his government’s inability to overcome shortages of food and medicine.

The aid is supposed to be distributed in Venezuela on Feb. 23 by supporters of congressional leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized the U.S. and dozens of other countries as Venezuela’s legitimate president.

Maduro Is using troops to block aid from entering, saying it’s unnecessary and part of coup to overthrow him.

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