By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
and wire services
As reported on VOA ( www.voanews.com)
the first shipment of Red Cross humanitarian aid
arrived in crisis-wracked Venezuela on Tuesday
following approval from President Nicolas Maduro's
government, an official told AFP.
"With great joy and responsibility, we want to
inform you that the first shipment of humanitarian
aid from the Red Cross is entering Venezuela at
this moment. It is about medical supplies, power
plants, and medicines that will be distributed in
different hospitals in the country in accordance
with the fundamental principles of our movement,
especially those of Neutrality, Impartiality, and
Independence," said Mario Villarroel, president of
the Red Cross of Venezuela.
The shipment, which arrived at the airport serving
Caracas, includes desperately needed "medication
and medical supplies," the official confirmed on
condition of anonymity. Cardboard boxes bearing
the symbols of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
movement were loaded by forklift onto trucks at
the Maiquetia International Airport.
Venezuela has suffered more than four years of
recession marked by shortages of basic necessities
such as food and medicine.
The United Nations says a quarter of its 30
million people are in urgent need of aid.
Last week, Maduro and the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) came to an agreement to
allow in the humanitarian aid.
Supplies destined for Venezuela's long-suffering
population formed the basis of a stand-off between
Maduro and parliament speaker Juan Guaido, who
launched a direct challenge to the president's
authority in January.
Guaido has since been recognized by more than 50
countries, including the United States, as
Venezuela's interim president.
But despite a highly publicized campaign, he
failed to force humanitarian aid stockpiled over
the border in Colombia into the country as the
military -- which remains loyal to Maduro --
blockaded a bridge crossing.
Maduro claimed the aid was nothing more than a
smokescreen to cover a U.S.-led invasion.
Maduro has repeatedly denied Venezuela is
suffering from a humanitarian crisis and blames
the U.S. for the oil-rich South American country's
economic woes.
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But last week he said on national TV and radio
that his government and the Red Cross had agreed
"to work together with UN agencies to bring into
Venezuela all the humanitarian aid that can be
brought."
Guaido blames government incompetence and
corruption for his country's crisis.
Last
month, the ICRC announced it would begin the
first phase of aid distribution to help 650,000
people in early April.
The U.N. estimates that 3.7 million Venezuelans
are malnourished and 22 percent of children
younger than age five suffer from chronic
malnourishment. It also claims that more than
2.7 million citizens have fled Venezuela since
2015.
In January, Juan Guaidó, in his capacity as
president in charge of Venezuela, offered an
amnesty law to the military, and also to
civilians, to help "the democratic restitution
of the country."
The norm, according to Guaidó, was approved by
the Parliament, with an opposition majority,
and, legally, bears the name 'Law of Amnesty and
Recognition of All Guarantees of Democratic
Reintegration for Military and Civil Officials
that Collaborate in the Restitution of the
Constitutional Order in Venezuela'.
The law offers amnesty to all civilians,
military and other officials identified as
prisoners, persecuted and political exiles for
acts committed since January 1, 1999 (before
taking on the presidency of Hugo Chávez) until
its entry into force.
In this way, the judicial proceedings against
these people (which have occurred since January
1, 1999) will be terminated and their civil,
criminal, administrative, disciplinary and tax
liabilities will be extinguished.
Secondly, the law guarantees amnesty and other
guarantees to the military and civilians who
contribute to the defense of the Constitution
and the restoration of democracy.
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