- Violence erupted between protesters and National Guardsmen at Venezuela’s borders on Saturday.
- The opposition to President Nicolas Maduro had organized deliveries of humanitarian aid, which soldiers were ordered to turn away at the border.
- But Venezuelans desperate for food and medicine showed up and clashed with the soldiers in an attempt to get the aid through.
Political and economic crisis have brought Venezuela to the brink of chaos.
Violence and protests have erupted in the country over shipments of humanitarian aid that have been stopped at the border.
As tensions reach a fever pitch over basic resources such as food and medicine, it appears like the country is teetering on the edge of crisis.
Here’s what you need to know.
Violence erupted in Venezuela on Saturday as citizens clashed with National Guardsmen over shipments of humanitarian aid.
Source: AP
The 200 metric tons of emergency food and medicine was organized by opposition leader Juan Guaidó who has questioned the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's second term in office.
Source: AP
The chaos in Venezuela stems from the 2018 presidential election, in which incumbent Nicolas Maduro was elected to a second six-year term.
Maduro's rivals claim that the election was a sham, and last month opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself the real president. Nevertheless, Maduro has refused to step down and has maintained control of the country in part thanks to the military, which continues to support him.
Source: PBS News Hour
National Guardsmen were ordered by Maduro to stop the aid shipments from crossing the border, but encountered issues when opposition protesters showed up to help ferry the aid over the border.
Source: AP
Soldiers responded by throwing tear gas and buckshot at the protesters to try and disperse the crowds.
Source: AP
The protesters resisted the attempts and worked to take down barbed wire and hastily constructed barriers.
Source: AP
Conditions in Venezuela have been deteriorating in recent months, due to inflation and a lack of food and medicine.
Source: New York Times
Around midday Saturday, opposition leader Guaidó gave a press conference from atop one of the shipment trucks bound for Venezuela. He called on soldiers to let the aid pass through.
"Our call to the armed forces couldn't be clearer: put yourself on the right side of history," Guaidó said.
Source: AP
A truck with humanitarian aid to Venezuela is seen broken down on the way to the Brazil-Venezuela border on Saturday.
In the Venezuelan town of Ureña at least two dozen people were injured in clashes with the National Guard, according to local health officials.
Source: AP
One gang of youths in Ureña commandeered a city bus and then set it on fire.
Source: AP
The aid shipments were designed as a test of Venezuela's military, which has remained loyal to Maduro.
Source: New York Times
The idea is that if the soldiers allow the shipments through, it will show that Maduro is losing his grip on power.
Source: New York Times
The plan appears to have had some success so far, with four soldiers defecting to Colombia at the Simon Bolivar Bridge Saturday morning.
"I've spent days thinking about this," one of the soldiers said. "There is a lot of discontent inside the forces, but also lots of fear."
Source: AP
Average Venezuelans joined the demonstrations, desperate to help get the much-needed aid through.
"They think they are the owners of Venezuela," Maria Zambrano told the Washington Post. "But we are all united, and we will get this aid in. They won't be able to shoot us all."
The 46-year-old engineer showed up in Ureña to help get the aid through because her cousin battling cancer hasn't been able to get medication for treatment.
Source: The Washington Post
One protester, 31-year-old Andruina Montanez, said she had to console her 10-year-old daughter earlier that morning because the child feared her mother would die in the protests.
The single mother spoke to the AP as she recovered on a curb after being subjected to rear gas.
"I told her I had to go out on the streets because there's no bread," she said. "But still, these soldiers are scary. It's like they're hunting us."
Source: AP
Opposition leaders claim they have already been able to get some shipments across the border this morning.
In addition to pushing to get shipments over the Colombian border, the opposition has also planned shipments by sea and at the Brazilian border.
Source: AP
