Battle of the bands: Power struggle in Venezuela turns to music
The bridge is now blocked with freight containers left there by the military, with President Nicolas Maduro refusing to let aid in and arguing it would be the first step toward a foreign invasion.
The opposition charity concert organised by British billionaire Richard Branson - called ‘Venezuela Aid Live’ will be held in the Colombian border town of Cucuta.
The stated goal is to raise $100 million in donations. Big stars from the Spanishspeaking world are scheduled to perform, and the presidents of Colombia, Chile and Paraguay have said they will attend.
The government has not said who will perform on the Venezuela end of the bridge. That concert’s slogan is ‘Hands Off Venezuela’.
“All the artists that are going to sing in Colombia must know that they are committing a crime. They are endorsing a military intervention,” said Maduro. On Thursday, he ordered the closure of Venezuela’s border with Brazil - one of the main potential avenues for aid delivery - as part of the power struggle with Guaido over bringing in aid.
Maduro said he was considering closing the border with Colombia, too.
Guaido meanwhile was travelling in a convoy of vehicles to personally pick up US aid being stockpiled on the Colombian border, defying Maduro’s military to stop him.