Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself Venezuela’s interim president, said the relief aid from the US should be with the troubled nation later today after it was collected from surrounding South American nations Brazil, Columbia and also the Caribbean island of Curacao. The news comes as Mr Maduro ordered troops to block aid coming into the nation despite widespread shortages of food and medicine, and warned the US and its allies were using “the pretext of delivering humanitarian aid” to try to “destroy the independence and sovereignty of the country”. Mr Maduro also said the relief aid would not be allowed into Venezuela, adding US “concerns” over Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis had been “fabricated by Washington over the last four years to justify intervening in our country”. The news of aid comes as Russia accused the US of deploying special forces near Venezuela to overthrow President Maduro’s government in a military coup.
Russian’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has claimed the US and its NATO allies are discussing plans on how to arm the opposition in Venezuela and oust Mr Maduro from presidency.
Moscow has also claimed the US is delivering military equipment disguised as aid deliveries with plans to engage in “dangerous provocation”.
Ms Zakharova said: “It seems that in Washington there is nothing to mark the fifth anniversary of the coup d’etat in Ukraine, so they decided to hold a new coup d’etat.”
She also warned that a US military intervention would lead to a “sharp increase in tensions” in the world.
Russia has declared support for Mr Maduro’s government, repeatedly accusing the US of planning military action against the Venezuela president.
Ms Zakhorava has also accused Venezuela’s opposition Juan Guaido’s of bringing US supplies across the Columbian border to provoke clashes and allow “a convenient pretext for conducting military action”.
Earlier last month, Mr Maduro declared himself Venezuela’s new interim President, with – causing a worldwide backlash as US President Donald Trump pledged his support for opposition leader Mr Guaido.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt slammed Mr Maduro for closing Venezuela’s borders as “disgusting and wholly unacceptable”.