CUCUTA, Colombia, Feb 23, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Venezuela’s opposition leader
Juan Guaido claimed the military helped him defy a travel ban by the
government of President Nicolas Maduro as he joined thousands over the
Colombian border on Friday for a charity concert to push for humanitarian aid
deliveries.
Maduro is trying to prevent food and medicines, from entering the country
as tensions over access to the supplies turned deadly, prompting an angry
condemnation from the United States.
Humanitarian aid has become a key focus of the power struggle between
Maduro and Guaido, who has been recognized as interim leader by more than 50
countries.
Guaido delivered a blow to Maduro as he turned up unexpectedly at the
concert in the Colombian border town of Cucuta, claiming “the armed forces
participated in this process” to help him flout his travel ban.
Hours later, Caracas said it had sealed the Colombian border across the
whole of Tachira — the western state that borders Cucuta — citing threats
to Venezuela’s security.
“Due to the serious and illegal threats attempted by the Government of
Colombia against peace and sovereignty in Venezuela, (the Venezuelan
government) has taken the decision of a total, temporary closure of all
bridges that unite both countries in Tachira,” Vice President Delcy Rodriguez
wrote on Twitter.
The powerful military’s backing is crucial to the viability of the
socialist leader, with defections strengthening Guaido’s hand.
The 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly declared himself
interim president last month and is calling for fresh polls, branding Maduro
a “usurper” and accusing him of rigging his re-election last May.
– ‘Soldiers started shooting’ –
The tense standoff over aid claimed its first casualties Friday as two
indigenous people were killed trying to prevent troops from sealing
unofficial pathways across the Brazilian border.
“An indigenous woman and her husband were killed and at least 15 other
members of the Pemon indigenous community were injured,” said a local human
rights group, Kape Kape.
The violence occurred in southeastern Bolivar state close to the border
with Brazil, which Maduro ordered closed on Thursday.
“People were in their community, calm. The soldiers came and started
shooting at the indigenous people,” said Salomon Perez, who accompanied a
brother and two nieces suffering from gunshot wounds by ambulance to a
hospital in Brazil.
“The United States strongly condemns the Venezuelan military’s use of force
against unarmed civilians and innocent volunteers on Venezuela’s border with
Brazil,” the White House said in a statement, adding: “The world is
watching.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also warned Venezuelan
authorities “not to use lethal force against demonstrators.”
– Fleeing shortages –
The “Venezuela Aid Live” concert in Cucuta was organized by British
entrepreneur Richard Branson in support of Guaido’s humanitarian aid relief
plan.
Guaido appeared alongside Colombian President Ivan Duque, Chile’s Sebastian
Pinera and Mario Abdo of Paraguay as crowds cheered.
A rival pro-Maduro concert was taking place a few hundred yards away on the
Venezuelan side of the border in Urena.
Guaido has set a Saturday deadline for the entry of humanitarian aid,
saying as many as 300,000 Venezuelans are in dire need of food and medicines
after years of shortages and malnutrition.
Some 2.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 amid a devastating
political and economic crisis, according to UN figures released Friday.
Maduro, who retains the support of allies China and Russia, has blocked the
entry of aid and accused the United States of plotting a military
intervention.
US special representative Elliott Abrams kept up the foreign pressure on
Maduro on Friday, joining a Cucuta-bound plane carrying medical supplies and
food.
Moscow has blasted Washington for using aid as a “convenient pretext for
conducting military action.”
– ‘Freedom’ –
Hundreds chanted “freedom” and “the government is going to fall” while they
waited for the Cucuta concert to begin on Friday under a hot sun, with the
barricaded border crossing visible nearby.
“We must break the impasse, end the humanitarian crisis,” billionaire
Branson told the crowd shortly before veteran Venezuelan crooner Jose Luis
Rodriguez began his set.
The line-up included Latin American giants Carlos Vives and Juanes of
Colombia, Juan Luis Guerra of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico’s Luis
Fonsi.
“The concert is an immense help because this type of initiative was
necessary to open our eyes and pressure the Venezuelan government,” said
Wendy Villamizar, a 32-year-old Venezuelan woman wearing a cap with her
country’s yellow, blue and red tricolor.
Maduro’s rival concert, decidedly smaller and featuring Venezuelan and
Cuban artists, began hours later.
Performers took to the stage against a giant backdrop emblazoned with the
words “#Trump Hands off Venezuela,” with around 2,500 people in attendance.
“We don’t want to be interfered with, we don’t want to be invaded,” said
Johana Suarez.