Venezuela’s Guaido ‘to personally bring in aid,’ risking standoff

Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido says he plans to travel to the Colombian border to personally bring in what is claimed to be humanitarian aid supplied by the United States in defiance of the government in Caracas, which has banned the entry of that cargo.

Guaido, who had earlier set a February 23 “deadline” for bringing in the aid, said he would head to the border on Thursday in a caravan of buses accompanied by supporters and members of the defunct national assembly.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said US President Donald Trump seeks to facilitate regime change in Venezuela under the cover of manufacturing a humanitarian crisis there.

The 35-year-old Guaido, who has declared himself the “interim president” of Venezuela, has said the cargo would enter from various points “one way or another.” This is while the Venezuelan military — which is loyal to Maduro — has blocked potential entry points, and Guaido’s defiance risks sparking a confrontation with the legal government in the country.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino has said the military is on alert at the country’s frontiers to block any territorial infringement.

SS