Venezuelan troops have barricaded a bridge on the country’s western border with Colombia in an apparent attempt to prevent the entry of humanitarian aid sent by opposition leaders trying to force Nicolás Maduro from power. Guaidó urged Venezuela’s border troops not to stand in the way of humanitarian aid that was intended to help “your family, your sister, your mum, your wife – who surely need these supplies”. “Humanitarian action needs to be independent of political, military or other objectives,” said a spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric. Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, tweeted: “The Venezuelan people desperately need humanitarian aid. The U.S. & other countries are trying to help, but # Venezuela’s military under Maduro’s orders is blocking aid with trucks and shipping tankers.

Source: The Guardian February 06, 2019 18:17 UTC