As Venezuela crisis deepens, troops block border to halt arrival of food and medicine
https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-venezuela-border-blockade-20190206-story.htmlVenezuelan authorities have set up barriers to block the entry of donated food and medicine from neighboring Colombia amid an escalating political dispute over humanitarian aid that other nations have rushed toward the embattled country’s borders.
The self-proclaimed opposition Venezuelan government — which controls no territory or border posts — has called on Venezuelan troops and police to allow the entry of tens of millions of dollars in aid pledged in recent days by the United States, Canada and various European nations.
Much of the aid, including the first shipment of food and medicine from the U.S., is now en route from Bogota to unspecified staging points in Colombia, the country’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Wednesday. Colombia, a close U.S. ally, shares a long border with Venezuela.
But President Nicolas Maduro — whom the opposition, joined by the United States, has denounced as a “usurper” — has rejected the aid, which he contends is a prelude to a U.S.-led invasion of Venezuela.
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This is a typical kind of article: https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20190210/46324014868/venezuela-crisis-frontera-colombia.html
In short order, it says the bridge was never open from the time it was constructed. No agreement reached with Columbia, it's all Columbia's fault.
Then it says it was open but closed because of contraband.
And adds that locals say Tuesday it was further blocked by containers and a tanker.
And that the "aid" is really intended for the black market. While it's all Trump's fault.
Another (https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/tienditas-el-puente-que-maduro-bloqueo-por-miedo-a-la-invasion-extranjera/600369) says they say it's because it's the first step to invasion. How could they leave the bridge open to invaders?
Somehow all of these are more important than the usual refrain for any politics that they approve of, "Think of the people! Feed the starving children!"
I find the choice of bridge odd--it's a huge sucker, and really close to the Columbian city Cucuta. But it's not on a main road that leads anywhere. Not, at least, if the way Google maps presents things is any indication of road quality in the area. I suspect it was chosen for proximity to Cucuta and because it was relatively unguarded. And it would make a great photo op, a huge elevated bridge with a convoy of humanitarian aid.
Then again, chavistas also tend to say that a large percentage of the "refugees" are just Colombians going back home where they belong. This is a difficult nut to crack. Reports are that up to 5 million Columbians emigrated to Venezuela from the '70s through the '90s because of economic conditions (one report said "they'd do the work that Venezuelans wouldn't do"
or to escape political insecurity and fighting. To be sure, some have left and gone "home" (taking with them, of course, the kids that never knew Columbia as home).
But at least a third of the 3 million Venezuelans that have fled are, consequently, said to just be "going home because the fighting's ended." I, for one, don't know if the "3 million" number are those with Venezuelan passports (and thus not "neo-migrants" or if they include former economic or political refugees. I assume that when people are identified as "Venezuelans" that they're Venezuelans; a number of news agencies have talked about Columbians returning and refer to them as Columbians. Those trying to minimize the problem in Venezuela are arguing from ambiguity.
