U.S. Secretary Of State Pompeo Demands Venezuelan President Maduro, Troops Allow Humanitarian Aid Into Country; U.N., NGOs Warn Against Politicization Of Aid

Washington Post: Pompeo slams Venezuelan president over blocking of humanitarian aid
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted Nicolás Maduro Wednesday, accusing the Venezuelan president of blocking the path of humanitarian aid into the impoverished country. The United States, which has called for Maduro’s ouster and recognized National Assembly head Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, has been coordinating with other countries in the region to deliver food and other provisions to Venezuela for the benefit of the people. But on Wednesday, ahead of anticipated aid shipments, a bridge that would have been an entry point into Venezuela from Colombia was blocked by a tanker truck and two shipping containers placed horizontally across its lanes. … While eager to see Venezuelans receive much-needed help, relief agencies and nongovernmental organizations worry that aid is being politicized and could become a pawn in this and future political brawls…” (Zuñiga, 2/6).

Additional coverage of the blocked humanitarian shipment and reaction is available from BBC News, Bloomberg, CNN, The Guardian, Reuters, and The Telegraph.

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