Venezuela receives aid from Cuba and China
Venezuela's Health Minister said the shipment included medicines, vaccines, nutritional rations and medical equipment.
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Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado inspects aid arriving at Guaira port on February 13. Photo:AVN. |
"Despite the blockade, the Venezuelan government is addressing health issues, responding to the needs of the people with support from Cuba, Russia, China, Palestine, Türkiye and international organizations such as UNICEF, UNFPA... Since the beginning of 2019, we have received 99 containers of medical aid worth 31.6 million USD," Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado posted on Twitter on February 14.
Alvarado said 64 containers containing 993 tons of goods including medicines, vaccines, nutritional rations and medical equipment arrived at Guaira port on February 13. Cuba and China provided most of the goods.AVNSome of the shipment was donated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
In 2018, Venezuela received 918 containers of medical aid worth $288.7 million, according to Alvarado. In addition to the aid, the Venezuelan government ordered essential medical supplies from countries that did not impose a blockade on the country.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan opposition has accused the Venezuelan government of threatening the lives of 300,000 Venezuelans by not allowing US aid to cross the border, which is currently being gathered in the city of Cucuta, Colombia.
US National Security Advisor John Bolton announced on Twitter that at the February 14 Conference on Humanitarian Aid in Support of Venezuela, initiated by the Organization of American States (OAS), 25 countries pledged $100 million in aid. This amount will be transferred directly to aid collection centers set up on the border between Venezuela with Colombia and Brazil, as well as on the Caribbean island of Curacao.
Venezuela has been in an economic crisis since 2015 due to a sharp drop in world oil prices and the US imposing numerous sanctions against the government, causing shortages of essential goods. The crisis in Venezuela escalated when Juan Guaido declared himself "interim president" on January 23, saying that it was acceptable for the US to intervene militarily in Venezuela for humanitarian reasons. The US and many other countries recognized and promised to support Guaido. Russia, Cuba, China and several other countries affirmed that Maduro is the legitimate president of Venezuela.
