2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela

2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela
Part of the crisis in Venezuela and Venezuelan presidential crisis
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Aid for Venezuela sent by the United States to Colombia. Packages to be sent to Venezuela prepared in Canada. United States Vice President Mike Pence visiting Colombia with boxes.
Date11 February 2019 (2019-02-11)
Continuous donations since February 2019
Location
 Venezuela
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Crisis in Venezuela
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During the presidential crisis between the Venezuelan governments of Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó, a coalition of Colombia, Brazil, the United States and the Netherlands attempted to bring essential goods as a response to shortages in Venezuela.[1] The three main bases used for the operation are: the Colombian city of Cúcuta,[2] the Brazilian state of Roraima,[3] (specifically Boa Vista and Pacaraima),[4] and the island of Curaçao, of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[5]

Shortages in Venezuela have occurred since the presidency of Hugo Chávez, with the country experiencing a scarcity rate of 24.7% in January 2008.[6] Shortages became commonplace in the country in 2012.[6] Since Maduro attained the presidency in 2013, he has denied that there was a humanitarian crisis in the country and refused international aid, making conditions in Venezuela worse.[7] Maduro blamed the shortages on an economic war being waged by foreign adversaries, such as the United States,[8] and claims that the problems in Venezuela are due to the economic sanctions against the state-run oil company PDVSA.[9]

Guaidó and Miguel Pizarro made partial delivery of the first shipment of humanitarian aid to the Association of Health Centers (ASSOVEC) on 11 February 2019.[10][11]

On 23 February 2019, a joint operation from all coalition countries by land and sea attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuela.[12][13] At the Colombia–Venezuela border, the caravans were tear-gassed or shot at with rubber bullets by Venezuelan personnel as they crossed bridges and ultimately blocked.[14][15][16] According to a report released by the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Agency for International Development only 8 out of 368 tons of aid reached the country.[17] In a December 2019 survey by Venezuelan pollster Meganalisis, 85.5% of respondents said that they did not receive support from international humanitarian aid, 7.9% said they did receive aid and 6.5% were unsure if they received humanitarian aid.[18]

  1. ^ Torrado, Santiago (6 February 2019). "Los militares venezolanos bloquean un puente que Colombia quiere usar para trasladar ayuda humanitaria" [The Venezuelan military blocks a bridge that Colombia wants to use to move humanitarian aid]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Maduro bloquea así el puente por donde debe entrar la ayuda de EE.UU" [Maduro thus blocks the bridge where US aid must enter]. El Comercio (in Spanish). 6 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Brasil abrirá centro de acopio de ayuda humanitaria para Venezuela" [Brazil will open collection center for humanitarian aid for Venezuela]. America TV (in Spanish). 11 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  4. ^ "Los centros de acopio de la ayuda humanitaria en Brasil serían en Boa Vista y Paracaima" [The collection centers for humanitarian aid in Brazil would be in Boa Vista and Paracaima]. Noticias al Día (in Spanish). 17 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Ayuda humanitaria: Curazao se convierte en el tercer centro de acopio para Venezuela" [Humanitarian aid: Curaçao becomes the third collection center for Venezuela]. La Tercera (in Spanish). 13 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Shortage at its highest since May 2008". El Universal. 6 January 2012. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  7. ^ Charner, Flora (14 October 2016). "The face of hunger in Venezuela". CNN. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
    * Vyas, Kejal; Dube, Ryan (6 April 2018). "Venezuelans Die as Maduro Government Refuses Medical Aid". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
    * Glüsing, Jens (8 August 2018). "The Country of Hunger: A State of Deep Suffering in Venezuela's Hospitals". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  8. ^ Kohut, Meredith (17 December 2017). "As Venezuela Collapses, Children Are Dying of Hunger". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  9. ^ Nichols, Michelle (6 February 2019). "U.N. warns against politicizing humanitarian aid in Venezuela". Reuters. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  10. ^ "Guaidó anunció que se hizo entrega del primer cargamento de ayuda humanitaria en el país" [Guaidó announced that the first shipment of humanitarian aid was delivered in the country]. El Universal (in Spanish). 11 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Juan Guaidó entregó el primer cargamento de la ayuda humanitaria" [Juan Guaidó delivered the first shipment of humanitarian aid]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 11 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Guaidó: El 23 de febrero ingresará la ayuda humanitaria a Venezuela" [Guaidó: On 23 February humanitarian aid will go to Venezuela]. El Universal (in Spanish). 12 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  13. ^ "Guaidó anuncia que la ayuda humanitaria ingresará el 23 de febrero" [Guaidó announces that humanitarian aid will enter on 23 February]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference mh2402 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ "Watchdog: US aid to Venezuela driven by more than just need". Washington Post. 29 April 2021. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Just 8 of 368 Tons of U.S. Aid to Venezuela Actually Reached Country, Report Says". Newsweek. 29 April 2021.
  18. ^ "Encuestadora Meganalisis - 2 DE DICIEMBRE 2019". www.encuestadorameganalisis.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.