© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Humanitarian Aid Arrives For Venezuela — But Maduro Blocks It

The Tienditas bridge connecting Colombia and Venezuela has been blocked by Venezuelan military forces, as seen here on Wednesday. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are demanding that humanitarian aid be allowed to enter.
Edinson Estupinan
/
AFP/Getty Images
The Tienditas bridge connecting Colombia and Venezuela has been blocked by Venezuelan military forces, as seen here on Wednesday. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are demanding that humanitarian aid be allowed to enter.

Updated on Feb. 13 at 10:45 a.m.

Trucks full of food and medicine have arrived at the Venezuelan border, setting up a showdown between President Nicolás Maduro and U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

The aid convoy arrived at the Colombian border city of Cúcuta, The Associated Press reports, but Maduro and the military have blocked the Tienditas bridge so that the trucks cannot enter Venezuela.

"The United States is prepositioning relief items — including food, nutritional supplements, hygiene kits and medical supplies — in Colombia so they are available to reach those most in need in Venezuela as soon as possible," a U.S. official told The AP.

Maduro has rejected aid offers and says his country has "never been, nor are we, a country of beggars," the BBC reports.

It's not clear that the Tienditas Bridge has ever been open. Diario La Opinión, a publication based in Cúcuta, wrote in 2016 that the money spent to build the bridge has not paid off, because "the government of Venezuela insists on closing the border." A photo on Google Maps from June 2017 shows fencing and concrete blocks on the bridge.

Venezuela has been in a political crisis since Guaidó, the president of the National Assembly, declared himself interim president last month. Maduro has refused to step aside and accuses the U.S. and others of attempting to overthrow him. Venezuela's economy and medical system have collapsed in recent years, sending millions fleeing from the once-rich country, home to the world's largest oil reserves.

Meanwhile, Colombia's migration office has canceled more than 300 daily entrance passes used by Venezuelan politicians and the families of Maduro supporters.

"It doesn't make sense that while [the Venezuelan people] migrate for hunger and need, supporters of the dictatorship enjoy these benefits and enter our country, using this card, to shop, among other things," Christian Krüger Sarmiento, the director general of the migration agency, said in a statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted a photo of the barricaded bridge. "The Venezuelan people desperately need humanitarian aid. The U.S. & other countries are trying to help, but Venezuela's military under Maduro's orders is blocking aid with trucks and shipping tankers. The Maduro regime must LET THE AID REACH THE STARVING PEOPLE."

Guaidó has been talking about the aid convoys. "While we work every day to successfully achieve the delivery of the humanitarian aid; they insist on taking away the medicines and foods of those who need them urgently," he tweeted.

"The first phase continues with collection centers in three allied countries," he wrote, posting photos of the trucks.

Maduro has called the convoys "a political show," according to Reuters.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Laurel Wamsley is a reporter for NPR's News Desk. She reports breaking news for NPR's digital coverage, newscasts, and news magazines, as well as occasional features. She was also the lead reporter for NPR's coverage of the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content