Venezuela: Self Inflicted Blockade

VENEZUELA

Self-inflicted Blockade

The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blocked a bridge linking the country with Colombia to prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid that has been demanded by the opposition.

Last week, opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has declared himself Maduro’s interim replacement, called for international aid to be delivered via the blocked bridge and two other waypoints, CNN reported. But despite shortages of food and medicine resulting from the country’s economic turmoil, Maduro has rejected the assistance, saying, “We are not beggars.”

CNN noted it’s also possible Maduro may be concerned the aid shipments might be used to camouflage an invasion to depose him.

After a tanker truck and two shipping containers were positioned to block the bridge linking Venezuela with Cucuta, Colombia, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed Maduro on Twitter for depriving his country’s people of humanitarian assistance, the Washington Post reported.

“The Venezuelan people desperately need humanitarian aid,” Pompeo tweeted. “The Maduro regime must LET THE AID REACH THE STARVING PEOPLE.”