Venezuelan opposition leader welcomes aid

Venezuelan National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó announced Monday evening the first round of humanitarian aid had arrived in the country despite an active ban by embattled President Nicolás Maduro. Guaidó, who is serving as interim president since invoking a clause in the Venezuelan Constitution, posted photos of the supplies, saying the nutritional supplements would provide 1.7 million rations for thousands of children and pregnant women. “Today we delivered the first donation, or the first cargo, of humanitarian aid, albeit on a small scale, because you know they have blocked the border for the time being,” he said.

Maduro has repeatedly rejected offers of aid even as the country continues to suffer from food and medicine shortages. Last week, the Venezuelan military used a tanker and containers to barricade a key border crossing from Colombia after Guaidó, who has been recognized as president by the United States and many of its allies, promised to bring food and medicine into the country. Guaidó did not specify how or where the aid distributed Monday came from.