Caracas orders closure of bridges connecting Venezuela to Colombia

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US Senator Marco Rubio (second from right), like Colombian President Ivan Duque, went to Cucuta on Friday to show their support for the Venezuelan opposition. REUTERS / Luisa Gonzalez

Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela several weeks ago, crossed the Colombian border on Friday, February 22, 2019, despite a judicial order forbidding him to leave his country. In Cucuta, he attended a concert of support for the opposition that he now embodies. At the same time, Caracas ordered the closure of the border throughout the state of Tachira, neighboring Cucuta, a city in which American humanitarian aid, described by the Venezuelan regime as a Trojan horse military intervention.

The one that some fifty countries of the world now support as "President of Venezuela ad interim" had made this Saturday, February 23 D-Day to try to force the entry of the territory to convey the humanitarian aid sent by the United States for his country. The latter accumulates since February 7 in warehouses in the border town of Cucuta, Colombia, President Maduro having banned his entry into Venezuela.

Our plan for Saturday is public, everyone knows it. We will leave at 9 am from all border posts with the determination to advance to Venezuela. What does that mean? Bringing a solution to those who are dying of cancer in Venezuela, a solution for children who are malnourished. It's been years that we fight for this, we doctors, NGOs ...

José Manuel Olivares, Venezuelan deputy charged by Juan Guaido with coordinating the entry of humanitarian aid since Cucuta 23/02/2019 - by Marie Normand

Friday, Juan Guaido undertook to go on the Colombian side to attend a major support charity concert . A challenge for Caracas, who had forbidden him to leave the territory. At the same time, the government of Nicolas Maduro has also ordered the " temporary total closure " of all the bridges that connect the two countries in the Venezuelan state of Tachira - this is also the name of the river -, a- we learned from a tweet from the vice president.

A decision that Delcy Rodriguez justifies by " serious and illegal threats made by the Colombian government against the peace and sovereignty of Venezuela ". " Normality at the borders will be restored when the gross acts of violence against our people and our territory are under control, " she says. Three bridges are involved, including the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, a fourth has been closed for some time.

El Gobierno Bolivariano informs to the población that, debido has the serias e ilegales amenazas undergone by the Gobierno de Colombia contra La Paz y the soberanía of Venezuela, ha tomado the decisión of a temporal total cierre of los puentes Simón Bolívar, Santander y Unión!

Deadly scuffles near Brazil

The tone is also rising at the border of Brazil. On Friday, Venezuelan soldiers opened fire and killed two people - a couple - in the village of Kumarakapay, according to the leaders of a local indigenous community. On the spot, Venezuelans have tried to block a military convoy that was getting closer to Brazil, fearing that it is trying to prevent the entry of foreign aid to Venezuela. There are about fifteen wounded.

While half of these people were hospitalized, Juan Guaido seized the case, denouncing a " crime " on Twitter, and again calling the military to " choose their side in these decisive hours ." " Between today and tomorrow, you will have to decide how to talk about you later ," he warned the military, to which the opposition, majority in the National Assembly, promised amnesty in case of fall of the chavist regime.

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In the comunidad of #Kumarakapay, 2 efectivos disparan ráfagas contra pemones that estaban in the puesto of control of the guardia. Resultado de este crimen: 12 personas heridas y 1 fallecida. Nuestra solidaridad con ellos. No quedará impune. # 22Feb

Thursday night, Maduro ordered the closure of the Brazilian border. In addition to foreign aid stored in Cucuta, Guaido has pledged to ship shipments this Saturday from the Brazilian city of Boa Vista and the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao. " Tomorrow (...) everyone will be in the street to demand the entrance of humanitarian aid, thanking the world for this unprecedented alliance ," he warned Friday after the concert.

A few hours before the end of the ultimatum, the Venezuelan National Guard was more and more present. Several convoys arrived in the day of Friday, reports our special correspondent, Marie Normand, on the Colombian border . Riot vehicles were circulating in the cities of Ureña and San Antonio, where the now closed bridges are, which the Venezuelan opposition has promised to cross with its volunteers and trucks of humanitarian aid.

#Venezuela The border with Colombia is now closed here in San Antonio del Tachira. Strong military presence in the city and around the bridges where the humanitarian aid is supposed to pass this Saturday. https://t.co/4KNWbqUXAL

Caracas seeks to break out of isolation

For its part, the government of Nicolas Maduro intensifies its diplomatic negotiations. On Friday, the foreign minister was at UN headquarters in New York to get a mediation from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Facing the press, more than 3,000 km from Caracas, Jorge Arreaza again denounced the temptation of a military intervention by Washington, warning against the risk of violence.

In less than 48 hours, the Secretary-General of the United Nations met successively the heads of American and Venezuelan diplomacy, repeating to both men the same message: do everything to avoid a bloodbath. Faced with the press, the Venezuelan minister denounced humanitarian aid that is akin to a show orchestrated by the Americans to provoke violence in his country and a reaction of military loyal to President Maduro.

And to deny that the Venezuelan forces were ordered to fire, while assuring that they would defend the territorial integrity of the country, reports our correspondent in New York, Marie Bourreau . Arreaza, however, hinted that last-minute talks were taking place, including with the US special envoy to Venezuela this Saturday. He also mentioned the possibility of a technical agreement to receive humanitarian aid, without further details.

If the so-called humanitarian aid was forcibly sent to Venezuela, the violence that could ensue would have serious consequences, this is the last thing anyone wants to see. China opposes military intervention against Venezuela, and any behavior that could cause escalation or even unrest in Venezuela

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang 23/02/2019 - by Christophe Paget Play