Venezuela’s FM at UN insists no aid crisis

VENEZUELA’S foreign minister insisted at the UN on Tuesday that there is no humanitarian crisis in his country even as he announced plans to step up cooperation with UN agencies to help the economy.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza met on Monday with UN Secretar y-General Antonio Guterres – his second meeting in a month – as the stalemate hardened between opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has declared himself acting president, and President Nicolas Maduro.

The UN has said it stands ready to ramp up humanitarian aid to Venezuela, where an economic meltdown has sent millions fleeing across borders, but requires consent from Maduro’s government.

“Let’s not be so hypocritical in this conversation,” Arreaza told a news conference at UN headquarters. “There isn’t a humanitarian crisis. There is an economy that is subject to a blockade.”

Venezuela’s economy is in a tailspin marked by hyperinf lation and shortages of basic necessities that the opposition bla mes on cor r upt ion a nd m i s ma n a ge ment b y t he Maduro government.

Arrea za said US sanctions were to blame and repeated his government’s claim t hat t he US was usi ng a id a s a political tool, aimed at regime change.

US aid has been piling up in Colombia at the border with Venezuela but a bridge border crossing has been barricaded by the militar y, under Maduro’s orders.

“A government that is threatening you with use of force, with invasion, with a blockade, that gives orders to other countries for them to block you, do they really want to provide you with humanitarian aid?” said Arreaza.

“This is a hostile government that is killing you and then they want to help you out.”

Mi l l ions of Venez uela ns have been left struggling with poverty, while 2.3 million have f led the country, unleashing a mig r at ion c r i si s i n Sout h America.

The foreign minister said he had discussed “deepening cooperation” between Venezuela and the UN during his meeting with Guterres, but did not provide details.

In Caracas earlier, the government sig ned t wo ag reements w it h t he UN Food and Agriculture agency and t he UN ch i ld ren’s agenc y Unicef to beef up school feeding programmes.

The UN chief has offered to help broker negotiations between Maduro and Guaido to resolve the crisis.