Pope prepared to mediate in Venezuela
The Pope has said that he is willing to mediate between Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido, Venezuela’s rival presidents, but only if both sides request his help.
Pope Francis, whose own country Argentina officially recognises Guaido, has been urged by both men to intervene. But while Maduro seeks negotiations, Guaido and his supporters see it as a ploy to buy time, and say that they will only sit to talk once Maduro has stepped down.
The Pope, speaking to reporters yesterday aboard his plane returning from a trip to Abu Dhabi, also confirmed that Maduro had written a letter to him, but said that he had not yet read it.
‘‘I will read the letter and see what can be done, but the initial condition is that both sides ask for it,’’ he said. ‘‘We are willing.’’
Mexico and Uruguay also offered to host talks between the rivals, but Guaido turned their offers down. He is instead relying on the rising tide of support spearheaded by the US to oust Maduro, the president since 2013.
Yesterday, the US stepped up their support once again, sending planes of aid to Colombia for distribution in neighbouring Venezuela.
Maduro has called on the military to turn back the humanitarian supplies, but Guaido has urged the troops to allow it in to help their long-suffering fellow citizens. Colombia’s border city of Cucuta is set to become the first distribution point for the US aid, which John Bolton, Donald Trump’s national security adviser, announced at the weekend, pledging US$20 million
(NZ$29m) of ‘‘humanitarian assistance’’.
Yesterday, thousands of Venezuelans gathered at the border crossing in Escobal on the outskirts of Cucuta, but there were no signs of aid convoys.
‘‘I’ve been waiting for six hours,’’ said Maria Elena Velasquez, who had made a
10-hour bus ride from the city of Maracaibo. ‘‘We have nothing. If the hunger doesn’t kill us, the lack of medicines will,’’ she said.
Local officials say the aid is still in Bogota, the Colombian capital, and is expected to be transported overnight for distribution today.
It is still unclear how the aid will be distributed without the support of the Venezuelan army. The UN and Red Cross have also said they will not assist.
It is expected that a committee from Venezuela’s national assembly will arrive today to coordinate with the Colombian military and US officials.
Maduro has long refused the entry of aid shipments from the US, claiming they would open the door to military intervention.
– Telegraph Group