Another Blackout Rocks Venezuela. Maduro Approves Chinese Humanitarian Aid Entry

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In the late hours of March 29^th, Venezuela was sent into another large-scale blackout.

Reportan explosión en la sub estación eléctrica Simón Rodríguez, en el Ávila, donde hace poco se registró un incendio forestal #29Mar pic.twitter.com/SoawhkxStF

— Maryorin Méndez✒ (@maryorinmendez) March 30, 2019

“They report an explosion at the Simón Rodríguez sub-station in El Ávila, where a forest fire was recently recorded”

People warned on March 27^th of a fire on the slopes of Ávila, near San Bernandino, in Caracas. The incident occurred near the electrical substation, at the San Bernardino exit on Boyacá Avenue, which was blocked at 2:00 pm by Civil Protection and Caracas Firefighters officials, Venezuelan newspaper Nacional reported.

In response to the newest blackout, US-Proclaimed Interim President Juan Guaido called people to rise up in rejection of the newest blackout. According to him the blackout affected 21 out of 23 states.

“We have to make a broad act of rejection, we will go out into the streets, at the gates of the urbanizations, to the buildings, to the neighborhoods, to the sectors, to express our rejection of this regime. The only way out of this crisis is outside Maduro,” he said.

#AHORA El presidente encargado de Venezuela, @jguaido, llama a la ciudadanía a rechazar el nuevo apagón nacional. #TVVNoticias por: https://t.co/JFihFEFRZC pic.twitter.com/JSUHTMnfCR

— TVVenezuela Noticias (@TVVnoticias) March 30, 2019

“The president in charge Of Venezuela, @jguaido calls the citizens to reject the new national blackout.”

teleSUR also reported of the blackout, providing no details.

#BREAKING | Reports of another loss of electricity in various points across Caracas and the country. pic.twitter.com/4AnN2dyhLF

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) March 30, 2019

Also on March 29^th, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro allowed the entry of humanitarian aid in Venezuela, just it was one from China and not from the US.

China delivered 65 tons of medicine and supplies to Venezuela, the delivery of aid being one of many.

Tareck El Aissami, Venezuela’s Minister of Industry and National Production stressed the importance of the delivery as an exercise of sovereignty and added that “the aggression Venezuela has experienced, the terrorist acts, the blockade and the financial persecution are unprecedented anywhere in the world.”

The Chinese Ambassador to Venezuela also reiterated the South American nation as an “integral strategic partner and friend,” stressing his conviction “that the Venezuelan people are capable of keeping the peace.” The statement came shortly after the U.S. has repeatedly threatened the Russiand Federation and other nations over their military support for Venezuela.

In terms of aid, the Red Cross President Francesco Rocca gave a press conference in which he announced that the organization had brokered an arrangement to deliver aid, with both Nicolas Maduro and Guaido’s opposition.

“We estimate that in a period of approximately 15 days we will be ready to offer help,” Rocca said.

Rocca also spoke against the US humanitarian aid, because it was very politicized.

“That was an issue that was very politicized,” said Rocca. “If that help complies with our rules and our protocols, of course we are willing to distribute it.”

US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams also commented on the announcement.

“This looks like a real opportunity, and we think that it is a response to the efforts that interim President Guaido has been making,” Abrams told reporters in Washington.

“So it’s very welcome, we hope it works, and — assuming that it does, which we do — the United States would be happy to put some of our aid into this method of reaching the Venezuelan people,” he said.

He completely disregarded Maduro’s part in the Red Cross deal and only gave credit to the US-backed opposition president.

He also said that the Red Cross’ efforts are great, but they’re not substitute to regime change.

“The kind of aid that is needed for a broad recovery of the Venezuelan economy really cannot be put in place until the regime is replaced by democratic government,” Abrams said.

In terms of Russia’s presence in Venezuela, the press service of Rosoboronexport, the arms trader of Russian state corporation Rostec announced that Russia opened a helicopter pilot training center in the Latin American country.

“A modern helicopter training center was built under Rosoboronexport’s contract with Venezuelan state-owned defense manufacturer (CAVIM). Its opening ceremony took place on March 29,” the organization said in a statement.

The center will give Venezuelan pilots an opportunity to train the use of Mi17V-5, Mi-35M and Mi-26T helicopters.

“At present, Russian helicopters supplied to Venezuela not only take part in operations against smugglers, but also successfully perform aerial survey of wildfires, take part in rescue and evacuation missions in areas hit by natural disasters and deliver humanitarian cargo to remote regions of the country,” Rosoboronexport said.

TASS also cited an anonymous source in Venezuela’s Army Aviation who said the center would be of great help.

“At present, Mi-35M2 helicopters play an active role in fighting drug trafficking in the states of Barinas, Apure and Amazonas. As a rule, those aircraft are used for detecting and destroying drug-trafficking convoys travelling by land and rivers,” he said.

The Mi-35M2 would be also effective in the war on drugs.

“One Mi-35M2 helicopter is capable of delivering a special group of five or six officers, providing fire support if necessary and evacuating the team after the task is fulfilled,” he said.

One is to also imagine that the newly trainer helicopter pilots would also be effective against a possible US decision to intervene in the country.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:

• “Russians Will Pay a Price”: Washington Threatens Moscow Over Deployment In Venezuela
• Fire At Security Service HQ Continued Series Of ‘Accidents’ Targeting Venezuela Infrastructure
• Trump: Russia Must Get Out Of Venezuela, All Options Are Open
• Venezuela Blames New Round Of Blackout On US-backed “Terrorists”

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