Venezuela crisis: US planes carrying aid arrive in Colombia

US military planes have been delivering humanitarian aid for Venezuela in the Colombian border town of Cucuta. The aid is being stockpiled at the request of the Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, who declared himself interim president last month. President Nicolás Maduro has alleged that the aid is part of a US plot to disguise an invasion into Venezuela. Mr Guaidó said some 600,000 Venezuelan volunteers would carry the aid across the border on 23 February.

“We will mobilise within and outside our borders,” he said in a tweet on Saturday, adding: “Our struggle continues to yield results!” It remains unclear if the aid will be allowed to enter Venezuela. One road bridge between Venezuela and Colombia remains blocked on the Venezuelan side by shipping containers. Speaking at a news conference in Cucuta, USAID administrator Mark Green said the aid had been requested by Mr Guaidó because Venezuela was in the grip of a growing humanitarian crisis. “Children are going hungry, and nearly every hospital in Venezuela is experiencing serious medicine shortages.” He said the crisis had reached regional proportions, with three million Venezuelans migrating to neighbouring countries in search of food and medicine. “Today we are standing on the frontlines of one of the largest displacements of people in the history of Latin America.” A representative for Mr Guaidó said more collection points for aid were being opened up in Brazil and the Caribbean.

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