$100 million in humanitarian aid pledged to crisis-hit Venezuela

By Agence France-Presse

Twenty-five countries have pledged $100 million in aid to Venezuela, a top US official said Thursday, as the crisis-hit country’s Supreme Court took aim at oil executives appointed by the opposition.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) f Juan Guaido (L) were verified before he declared himself the country’s interim president (AFP Photo/Yuri CORTEZ, Federico PARRA / MANILA BULLETIN)

Venezuela is plagued by hyperinflation and major shortages of basic goods, and two men — opposition leader Juan Guaido and President Nicolas Maduro — are vying for control of the country.

The United States is among more than 50 countries that have recognized Guaido as interim president, but Maduro — backed by the country’s military as well as Russia, China and dozens of other states — has so far refused to relinquish his office.

US national security advisor John Bolton made the announcement on the aid pledged to Venezuela following an Organization of American States conference on assisting the country.

“Today, 25 countries, united at the OAS-hosted Conference on Humanitarian Assistance in Support of Venezuela pledged $100 million in humanitarian assistance,” Bolton tweeted.

According to David Smolanksy, coordinator of an OAS working group on migration and refugees from Venezuela, the money will go directly to aid collection centers set up on the borders with Colombia and Brazil and on the Caribbean island of Curacao.

At the opening of the conference in Washington, Guaido’s representative in the United States, Carlos Vecchio, said the priority is to get aid into Venezuela on February 23 — a month after Guaido declared himself Venezuela’s interim president.