Venezuela steps up border closures

CARACAS – Venezuela has shut a key maritime border and grounded flights as the opposition party seeks to import foreign aid to the crisishit South American country.

A government representative confirmed Venezuela has closed its maritime border with Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire and, in the Western state of Falcon, prevented flights leaving from or departing to those islands.

Vice Admiral Vladimir Quintero, a military general from embattled President Nicolas Maduro’s government, said that there was no date set for lifting the closures, according to the representative.

Maduro has so far refused to allow aid trucks into Venezuela from neighbouring countries, which have formally recognised the government of the self-declared interim president, Juan Guaido.

Maduro maintains his country does not need aid and has barricaded bridges in an attempt to block it.

The government of Brazil held a meeting Tuesday to “define logistics” on providing aid to the Venezuelan people, presidential spokesman Otavio Rego Barros said in a Press conference. The aid, which includes food and medicine, is anticipated to begin flowing February 23, he said.

The operation will be conducted in “cooperation” with the US government, he added. (CNN)

VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER and self-declared acting president Juan Guaido leaving the National Assembly in Caracas after

attending a meeting with ambassadors. (Internet image)