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Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido on Saturday called for further demonstrations on February 23 to support volunteers ready to channel American humanitarian aid to Venezuela, with President Nicolas Maduro considering a military deployment against he believes to be a possible invasion.
Several thousands of Juan Guaido supporters, dressed in white T-shirts and caps in the colors of the Venezuelan flag, gathered in Los Cortijos, north-east of Caracas, to register on volunteer lists ready to participate the delivery of aid in the country.
Juan Guaido, who promises humanitarian aid will enter Feb. 23, has called for new protests that day to support these volunteers. "A whole country will be mobilized (...) to tell the world that we will remain in the street until the end of the usurpation, that a transitional government and free elections be implemented ", a- he threw to his followers.
According to the opponent, 600,000 people have registered to participate in the delivery of US aid in the country. He said the " caravans " of volunteers would travel not only to the Colombian border town of Cucuta, but also to the border with Brazil, where two storage centers are located, and at the point of arrival of the help that will be sent from the island of Curacao.
Food and medicine sent by the United States to Juan Guaido's appeal have been stored in Cucuta since February 7, but their entry is blocked by containers deposited on a border bridge by the Caracas authorities. Dozens more tonnes arrived on Saturday, adding 2.5 tonnes shipped Friday from Puerto Rico (US Caribbean).
Recognized by some 50 countries as the country's interim president, the speaker of parliament, the only institution in the hands of the opposition, reiterated his appeal to the military to allow humanitarian aid to pass. For his part, Nicolas Maduro asked his army on Friday to prepare a " special deployment plan " on the Colombian border, 2,200 km long. He wants to evaluate " what new forces " are needed to make this border " inviolable, unbeatable, impregnable ".
Emergency aid is at the heart of the standoff between Guaido and Maduro, a sensitive issue in a country plagued by the worst economic crisis of its considered fraudulent. On Friday, Nicolas Maduro, who denies the existence of a " humanitarian emergency ", reaffirmed his refusal to let in aid, calling it " crumb ", " rotten food ". Assuring that his government is distributing food aid to 6 million families, he shifts responsibility for US sanctions shortages, which Caracas estimates will cost the Venezuelan economy $ 30 billion a year.
► Support from Colombia
Colombian President Ivan Duque promised Friday to Juan Guaido to support him " in a determined manner " so that humanitarian aid enters Venezuela. " We are with you (...). We will be attentive to help you in a determined way so that the humanitarian aid arrives in Venezuela, "Ivan Duque told the head of the Venezuelan Parliament, during a brief videoconference broadcast live on the Instagram social network.