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Venezuela humanitarian aid met with teargas and gunfire on borders
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS FEBRUARY 23, 2019 / 5:06 AM / UPDATED 8 MINUTES AGO
Venezuela humanitarian aid met with teargas and gunfire on borders
Nelson Bocanegra, Anggy Polanco
6 MIN READ
CUCUTA, Colombia/URENA, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan troops loyal to President Nicolas Maduro fired tear gas and rubber pellets at opposition supporters seeking to bring foreign aid over the Colombian border on Saturday, as the country’s socialist government defied international pressure to step down.
The clashes occurred as Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who most Western nations recognize as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, gave a personal send off to an aid caravan from the Colombian city of Cucuta.
Guaido briefly boarded one of a dozen trucks carrying U.S.-backed humanitarian aid before they set off toward the border, where they were pushed back by Venezuelan security forces.
Colombia’s government said their contents would be unloaded and transported by “human chains” that have formed on the road that leads toward Venezuela.
But in the towns of San Antonio and Urena, just across the border, troops fired tear gas and rubber bullets at opposition activists including lawmakers walking toward the frontier who were waving Venezuelan flags and chanting “freedom.”
-snip-
Venezuela humanitarian aid met with teargas and gunfire on borders
Nelson Bocanegra, Anggy Polanco
6 MIN READ
CUCUTA, Colombia/URENA, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan troops loyal to President Nicolas Maduro fired tear gas and rubber pellets at opposition supporters seeking to bring foreign aid over the Colombian border on Saturday, as the country’s socialist government defied international pressure to step down.
The clashes occurred as Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who most Western nations recognize as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, gave a personal send off to an aid caravan from the Colombian city of Cucuta.
Guaido briefly boarded one of a dozen trucks carrying U.S.-backed humanitarian aid before they set off toward the border, where they were pushed back by Venezuelan security forces.
Colombia’s government said their contents would be unloaded and transported by “human chains” that have formed on the road that leads toward Venezuela.
But in the towns of San Antonio and Urena, just across the border, troops fired tear gas and rubber bullets at opposition activists including lawmakers walking toward the frontier who were waving Venezuelan flags and chanting “freedom.”
-snip-
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-humanitarian-aid-met-with-teargas-and-gunfire-on-borders-idUSKCN1QC091
