Escalating Tensions at the Venezuela Border; Opposition Leader to Meet with Trump’s Vice President

Juan Guaidó, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, announced that he will meet with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence next Monday. Tensions are escalating at the Venezuelan borders. The United States and nearly 50 other countries recognize Juan Guaidó as the interim president of Venezuela. Several of these countries, which are members of the Lima Group, are set to gather in Colombia's capital to discuss the events in Venezuela. Guaidó's meeting with Pence is expected to take place during this gathering. The Lima Group was formed in 2017 in the Americas, with 12 member countries aiming to find a peaceful solution to help Venezuela out of its crisis. Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, whose legitimacy is being challenged, has rejected calls for presidential elections in the country and considers himself the legitimate head of state. However, his opponents accuse him of blocking the entry of his main rivals in last year's elections and steering the country towards dictatorship. Guaidó, who has traveled to the central Colombian city of Cúcuta, stated that he will not cease efforts to transfer foreign aid into Venezuela. Several Venezuelan forces have fled to Colombia. In response to the opposition's requests, the United States has begun sending humanitarian aid to the Venezuelan border. However, the Venezuelan military has blocked the entry of this aid. Guaidó and the opposition argue that the transfer of this aid is essential for hundreds of thousands of citizens facing shortages of food and hygiene supplies. Maduro, on the other hand, claims that this aid is a pretext for military intervention in Venezuela. Clashes and tensions between security forces and protesters demanding the entry of aid have increased. During clashes on Saturday near the Brazilian border, at least two people were killed by gunfire from Venezuelan soldiers. The Associated Press reported, citing a doctor present during the aid efforts, that 18 others were injured in the clashes. Thousands are trying to get humanitarian aid across the Brazilian border. Although Guaidó has emphasized that he will continue efforts to bring in aid, he has not urged protesters to risk attempting to breach military barriers at the border again. Guaidó has again asked military forces to abandon their posts. In the past couple of days, at least 13 border guards have sought refuge in Colombia. The United States has condemned the violence. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, tweeted, "The United States condemns the attacks on civilians in Venezuela carried out by Maduro's thugs. These attacks have left victims and the injured behind." Reuters reports that trucks carrying aid have ultimately returned from the Venezuela-Colombia border to warehouses where the aid shipments are currently stored. Reports indicate that the situation remains tense at another border of Venezuela in the small town of "Santa Elena," adjacent to Brazil, where two citizens lost their lives. Thousands are trying to get humanitarian aid across the Brazilian border; two trucks carrying aid are stuck at the border, and protesters are demanding their entry into Venezuela. A Venezuelan priest told the Associated Press, "The situation is very dire... This is a humanitarian disaster."