WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed confidence on Sunday that embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s “days are numbered,” amid a violent impasse over humanitarian aid.
“Predictions are difficult. Picking exact days is difficult,” Pompeo said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I’m confident that the Venezuelan people will ensure that Maduro’s days are numbered.”
Pompeo’s remarks came a day after a US-supported, opposition-led effort to bring humanitarian supplies into the country was repelled by Venezuelan border troops firing tear gas and rubber bullets.
Maduro, vowing to “never bow down” at a rally in Caracas, severed relations with neighbouring Colombia for supporting the opposition bid.
Pompeo blamed armed Maduro loyalists known as “collectivos” for most of the violence at border crossings.
“We hope the military will take that role back in protecting their citizens from these tragedies. If that happens, I think good things will happen,” he said.
The military command has pledged absolute loyalty to Maduro, although some officers and soldiers have deserted, heeding opposition appeals that they switch sides.
Pompeo said the United States, which recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s interim president, remains committed to bringing in aid.
“We’re aimed at a singular mission — ensuring the Venezuelan people get the democracy they so richly deserve and the Cubans and the Russians who have been driving this country into the ground for years and years and years no longer hold sway,” he said.
Brazil too on Sunday condemned violence used by Maduro’s government this weekend to block aid shipments from crossing the border, branding it a “criminal act” and calling on the international community to join efforts to “liberate” the South American nation.
Meanwhile, Brazilian Army Colonel George Feres Kanaan told Reuters on Sunday that two Venezuelan national guard soldiers deserted to Brazil late on Saturday, joining some 60 military officials who defected in Colombia.
EU CONDEMNATION
The European Union on Sunday condemned Caracas for its use of violence and armed supporters of the regime to prevent the entry of humanitarian aid into Venezuela.
“We repudiate the use of irregular armed groups to intimidate civilians and lawmakers who have mobilised to distribute assistance,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement in the name of the bloc’s 28 members.
Her remarks came just hours after a high-risk operation to bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela descended into deadly chaos when Maduro’s security forces fired on demonstrators, sparking clashes that left two dead and hundreds injured.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido said the regime had “deployed irregulars” to block the entry of aid, referring to groups of armed Maduro supporters who tend to operate both alongside and independently of the security forces.
“There are worrying reports of unrest, acts of violence and a growing number of victims, in particular in the border areas and among the Pemon indigenous community,” Mogherini said. — AFP/Reuters
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