The US is sending another large shipment of humanitarian aid to the Venezuelan border in Colombia, using military aircraft to pressure Nicolas Maduro to give up power, according to a leaked State Department email to Congress.
The 250 tons of emergency supplies will begin arriving on Saturday in the border city of Cucuta, where tons of boxes of emergency supplies stamped with the US flag are already warehoused waiting for delivery.
While the US military has long supported civilian-led humanitarian assistance missions around the world this is the first time it has been used to deploy aid for Venezuela.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has sanctioned Venezuela’s oil chief and key intelligence officials under Mr Maduro, tightening pressure on the embattled leader.
US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said PDVSA head Major General Manuel Quevedo has been instrumental in propping up what he called Mr Maduro’s illegitimate regime.
The announcement follows recent sanctions targeting the state-run oil company amid a sweeping move to force Mr Maduro from office and support opposition leader Juan Guaido.
The new sanctions also target four high-ranking officials of Venezuela’s national intelligence service and a special police force.
Mr Mnuchin says they are responsible for corruption and repressing Venezuela’s democracy.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said he sees signs that Mr Maduro is starting to understand Venezuelans reject him as their leader.
He spoke with reporters after an exclusive AP interview with Mr Maduro, who said he was willing to meet President Donald Trump — any time or place.
Mr Maduro said he holds out hope of a meeting to resolve a crisis over America’s recognition of Mr Guaido as Venezuela’s rightful leader.
Mr Pompeo said Mr Maduro’s request is not new, but it reflects that he is realizing his crisis-riddled nation rejects his “model of governance”.
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