On February 16th, the US military delivered humanitarian aid to Cucuta at the Colombian border to Venezuela.
Great work by our U.S. forces at @SouthCom, @AirMobilityCmd, and @USAirForce in delivering humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies, and other critical items needed by Venezuelans. https://t.co/QfhmIQ9L3n
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 16, 2019
US-Proclaimed Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaido also confirmed that the additional aid had arrived and called for the Venezuelan military to allow it.
He also claimed that more than 600,000 volunteers had gathered to assist in the provision of the US humanitarian aid to the citizens of the country.
¡Ya van 600 mil personas inscritas en el gran voluntariado! Los invitamos a todos a inscribirse en https://t.co/XyOMYEO1xt y seguir a @voluntariosxve para más información.
La #AyudaHumanitaria es una realidad y depende de nosotros lograr su entrada. pic.twitter.com/aJkaQA85Oi
— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) February 16, 2019
He also confirmed that the deadline for the entry and when the people will “act” is February 23rd.
US National Security Adviser John Bolton once more reiterated the Trump administration’s support for US-Proclaimed Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaido and “the people of Venezuela.
The U.S. military has delivered hundreds of tons of aid to partner nations over the last five years. The United States is proud to mobilize whole-of-government support for its partners in need, including Venezuelan President Guaido and the people of Venezuela.
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 16, 2019
Following the new sanctions imposed on General Quevedo, the president of Venezuela’s national state oil company, the PDVSA, Bolton also warned companies not to risk dealing with the company.
International oil companies, brokers, and traders take note: General Quevedo, the president of Maduro’s corrupt oil slush fund PDVSA, is now subject to U.S. sanctions. Don’t risk dealing with him!
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 17, 2019
Reuters reported that the new US sanctions are apparently working. Litasco, the trading arm of Russia’s second biggest oil producer Lukoil stopped its oil swap deals with Venezuela immediately after the sanctions were introduced.
The decision was announced by Lukoil CEO Vagit Alekperov.
“Before the restrictions were imposed, Litasco had operations to deliver oil products and sell oil, and there were swap operations. Today there are none,” Alekperov said, speaking at a conference in Sochi.
Russia’s Gazprom Neft’s Chief Executive Alexander Dyukov said that the company does not see major risks for its operations in Venezuela.
He said his company has not and does not supply Venezuela with oil products needed to dilute PDVSA oil. He added Venezuela had not approached Gazprom Neft to supply PDVSA with oil products.
Also on February 16th, US Vice President Mike Pence rebuked EU nations over Iran and Venezuela, rejecting a call by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to include Russia in global cooperation efforts. The American VP told the EU states that they should follow US lead and recognize Juan Guaido as president.
All of us must stand with the Venezuelan people until freedom & democracy are fully restored. Today we call on the European Union to step forward for freedom and recognize Juan Guaido as the only legitimate president of Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/MBKrjgYu9i
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) February 16, 2019
Meanwhile, in Hamburg, Germany, protesters came to the streets to protest against a possible military intervention in Venezuela and show their support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
RT @consu_ve_ham: International solidarity in Hamburg – Germany, says No to the military intervention in Venezuela and supports President @NicolasMaduro, @jaarreaza @yvangil @planwac @CancilleriaVE @EmbaVenBerlin @jungewelt @BNGalemanha @BlancaMerz pic.twitter.com/yAcdTNSjGp
— Nicolás Maduro (@maduro_en) February 17, 2019
The Venezuelan embassy in Nicaragua also posted a video showing a long queue of people gathering to “sing for peace in Venezuela.
RT @laradiodelsur: IMPRESSIVE! Such a long queue in Nicaragua to sing for Venezuela’s Peace. pic.twitter.com/pzit1Q0z4C
— Nicolás Maduro (@maduro_en) February 17, 2019
Finally, Maduro expressed support of the Yellow Vest protests in France, who took to the streets for the 14th straight week on February 16th.
RT @planwac: France, today: A carpet pf people on the blue sky. It looks like Bolivar Avenue full of yellow vests and hope. Aux armes citoyens! Formez vos bataillons! Marchons, marchons… pic.twitter.com/x0m9H2ogFD
— Nicolás Maduro (@maduro_en) February 17, 2019
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US Aid, no doubt lethal, owing to food and medicine still being sanctioned.
Why do nations follow the US, when they illegally apply sanctions, to poorer countries, whose natural resources they wish to pillage? Lukoil – seriously disappointing.
Yes, quite. I would say to Lukoil CEO Vagit Alekperov: DO YOU SERVE THE US EVIL EMPIRE? Disappointing is a massive understatement.
Alikperov is not different than Khodorkovsky in terms that both (and most of Russia’s oligarchs) were assigned for their role in US embassy during 90s. They were assigned to serve US Empire.
So why hasn’t Putin rapped him over the knuckles and put chili on his tongue. I would.
US AID is a respected humanitarian agency, AM.
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/DMCEA3/armalite-m-16-ar-15-assault-rifle-DMCEA3.jpg
LOL, with the tax payers funding, going straight back to their good friend So ros. Not just USAID he controls.
They are all intimidated by a bully, an increasingly bad-tempered bully.
The US is in relative decline from its heyday, but is still awfully powerful in economic and financial matters.
Oreo cookies and granola bars. 90% sugar and corn syrup. Enriched (!) flour. Added vitamins (in indigestible form). This isn’t humanitarian aid, but food poisoning.
Why do governments (not nations) follow the US? Money. Sacks of it. Bluff, bluster and blackmail.
Meanwhile in the US colony of Haiti people are rioting about the corrupt American puppet government. The US fully supports the corrupt Moise government but is evacuating Americans, and won’t send aid to the starving people.
Yes, and Moise says he has a ‘popular’ mandate for another 13 years in office I think.
‘We no need stinking elections’. :)
The only aid the US supplies is guns. Is anybody allowed to look inside the boxes?
No doubt, diplomatic immunity will apply. Besides, the local US slaves and arse-licks, the Colombians and (sadly) Brazilians, wouldn’t dare challenge their masters.
Oh, the US gives some real aid material for public relations.
But as Maduro has rightly said, stopping all their sanctions and unwarranted punishments of Venezuela would be immensely more help to the people than some crates of beans and toilet paper.
The US government’s policy on Venezuela could unleash a Latin American spring. The Arab equivalent was disastrous for the Middle East – and Europe. Such upheaval so near its own border could be catastrophe for the United States. History shows that the untethered pursuit of power ultimately undermined leads to its lose. https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
Conflict Blowback has never been a well understood concept by US presidents, Peter.
They do understand Blow Jobs though, if that helps. :)
Blow jobs are usually one on one, or at most one on two, not a whole nation…………..
Its worse than I thought then :)
To sign for peace, not “to sing for peace” (in Nicaragua).