Tag: Venezuela

China, Russia urge against military action in Venezuela

The Chinese and Russian foreign ministers voiced their opposition to military action in Venezuela on Wednesday, as President Nicolas Maduro faces increasing pressure from the United States to step down. Russia and China, which have had close relations with Maduro over the years, have repeatedly warned against any foreign interference in Venezuela, while Washington has backed the opposition leader. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov repeated Moscow’s assertion that the United States was using aid deliveries […]

Chaos turns to uncertainty at Venezuela border

by Esteban ROJAS Agence France Presse UREÑA, Venezuela (AFP) — Bloody violence may have subsided for now at Venezuela’s blockaded border, but for local people, terror has turned to anxiety about how they will reach the schools and shops they depend on. In the Venezuelan border town of Urena, Kelly Pinto stared at the Santander Bridge leading to Colombia — now blocked by a white armored truck. Like many of her neighbors, she was wondering […]

Maduro says US wants to ‘fabricate’ Venezuela crisis to start war

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused the American government of manufacturing a crisis in an attempt to start a war in South America, in an interview broadcast on Monday. “Everything that the United States government has done has been doomed to failure,” Maduro told American broadcaster ABC News from the presidential palace in Caracas in remarks translated by the network from Spanish. “They are trying to fabricate a crisis to justify […]

Venezuela’s Guaido and Pence agree to tighten noose on Maduro

by Hector Velasco Agence France Presse BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — US Vice President Mike Pence and Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaido agreed on a strategy to tighten the noose around President Nicolas Maduro following a meeting with regional allies in Colombia on Monday. “We hope for a peaceful transition to democracy but President Trump has made it clear: all options are on the table,” said Pence, who passed on Trump’s “100 percent” support to Guaido. […]

Guaido ramps up pressure after deadly Venezuela border clashes

by Esteban Rojas with Rodrigo Almoncid in Cucuta International pressure mounted against Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, with Washington vowing to “take action” after opposition efforts to bring humanitarian aid into the country descended into bloody chaos. Self-declared interim president Juan Guaido called on the international community to consider “all measures to free” Venezuela after clashes at the border crossing left at least two people dead. Guaido announced he would participate in Monday’s Lima […]

Venezuela border tensions turn violent amid aid distribution bid

President Nicolas Maduro’s security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets Saturday on a crowd awaiting the distribution of humanitarian aid at the Venezuela-Colombia border as tensions spiked ahead of an opposition deadline to bring in food and medical aid. “We want to work!” people chanted as they faced Venezuelan National Guard riot police blocking the crossing at the Urena border bridge to Colombia, one of several ordered closed Maduro late Friday. In the confusion, […]

Venezuela’s Guaido defies travel ban as aid row turns deadly

by Rodrigo Almonacid with Esteban Rojas in Urena Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido claimed the military helped him defy a travel ban by the government of President Nicolas Maduro as he joined thousands over the Colombian border on Friday for a charity concert to push for humanitarian aid deliveries. Maduro is trying to prevent food and medicines, mainly from the US, from entering the country as tensions over access to the supplies turned deadly elsewhere. […]

Maduro shuts border with Brazil as Guaido goes in search of aid

by Maria Isabel Sanchez Agence France Presse CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — President Nicolas Maduro ordered the closure of Venezuela’s border with Brazil on Thursday in an increasingly fraught power struggle with Juan Guaido, the opposition leader spearheading efforts to bring humanitarian aid into the country despite a military blockade. Guaido set out in a convoy of vehicles to personally pick up US aid being stockpiled on the other side of the Colombian border, defying Maduro’s […]

US aid for Venezuela lands in Curacao

WILLEMSTAD, CuracaoA plane carrying food and medical aid from the United States landed on the Caribbean island of Curacao Thursday en route for Venezuela, whose government has vowed to block it. AFP reporters saw the jet land at the airport in Curacao, one of the focal points of a volatile standoff between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and self-declared head of state Juan Guaido. A dozen Venezuelan opposition supporters cheered and sang their national anthem as the […]

Venezuela aid standoff hardens between Guaido, Maduro

by Roland LLOYD PARRY Agence France Presse CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido forged ahead Wednesday with plans to bring US medical and food aid into the country in defiance of the military-backed government, raising fears of possible weekend confrontations. In the latest maneuver of his standoff with socialist President Nicolas Maduro, self-declared interim leader Guaido rallied bus drivers who he said will head to the borders to collect aid for Venezuelans […]

Venezuela ‘on alert,’ closes Curacao border ahead of aid shipment

by Roland Lloyd Parry and Maria Isabel Sanchez Agence France Presse CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela’s military said Tuesday it was on “alert” at its frontiers following threats by US President Donald Trump and ordered its border with Curacao closed ahead of a planned aid shipment. Opposition leader and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido vowed to bring aid in from various points Saturday “one way or another” despite military efforts to block it. But commanders […]

Venezuela military backs Maduro, on ‘alert’ for border violations

by Maria Isabel SANCHEZ Agence France Presse CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela’s military reaffirmed its support for embattled President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday and said they were on “alert” for border violations following threats by US President Donald Trump who urged them to back opposition leader Juan Guaido. “The armed forces will remain deployed and on alert along the borders … to avoid any violations of territorial integrity,” said Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, reading out […]