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Pressure on the Border Escalates: The Battle of Humanitarian Aid in Venezuela
Two dueling concerts complicate massive protests planned for Saturday Feb 23 in Cucuta, Colombia as tensions tighten over a possible forced entry of US aid into the stricken country.
Cucuta, Colombia- The deadline set by the United States and self-declared president Juan Guiado to deliver humanitarian aid into Venezuela is Saturday Feb 23rd, when massive protests are being scheduled by both the Venezuelan opposition and the government of Maduro. For now, US aid waits in a warehouse in Cucuta near the Tienditas bridge. And one of the ideas being considered by the opposition is to send thousands of women in white across the border to carry the aid by hand into Venezuela, with the hopes that the Venezuelan military will not act violently against unarmed women.
To further complicate the situation, Richard Branson, somewhat eccentric British billionaire and founder of Virgin, announced a concert at the Tienditas bridge, where US aid waits, on Friday. “Not long ago, Venezuela was the richest country in South America and it is now confronting the worst humanitarian crisis in the western hemisphere as more than three million Venezuelans have been displaced from the region.” He said in a taped message 16th of February.
