Boosted by the backing of 19 European Union countries, Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido is ploughing on with his bid to bring humanitarian aid into the country despite President Nicolas Maduro's vow to block it. Venezuela's National Assembly, headed by self-proclaimed acting president Guaido, was to discuss the process of gathering badly-needed food and medicines in neighboring countries before bringing it in.
Guaido has pleaded with the military, the key power behind Maudro's authority, not to block the aid, claiming that up to 300,000 people face death without it. "Here in Venezuela nothing will enter, not one invading soldier," said Maduro, who claims humanitarian aid would be a precursor to a US-led invasion.
Maduro has repeatedly accused the United States of being behind an attempted coup by Guaido, who declared himself acting president on January 23. The US, which has not ruled out a military intervention in crisis-wracked Venezuela, was the first to recognize his claims followed by a dozen Latin American countries.
Britain, France and Spain were among 19 EU nations to side with Guaido on Monday after Maduro ignored a deadline they had set for him to announce new presidential elections. Guaido is trying to force Maduro from power, set up a transitional government and hold a new presidential poll.
He thanked each EU country in turn on Twitter "for supporting all Venezuelans in this struggle we undertake to rescue our nation's democracy, freedom and justice." But key Maduro ally Russia slammed what it called interference in the oil-rich but now poor Latin American country, saying it was an attempt to "legitimize usurped power."
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