Venezuela crisis: Juan Guaidó vows to bring in aid

Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó has told tens of thousands of his supporters that humanitarian aid will be brought in, despite opposition from President Nicolás Maduro.

He also told a rally in Caracas that "the usurper [Maduro] has to leave".

Mr Guaidó told his supporters in the capital that humanitarian aid would be brought into Venezuela on 23 February.

"We have almost 300,000 Venezuelans who will die if the aid doesn't enter. There are almost two million whose health is at risk."

Last week, the first lorries with US humanitarian aid for Venezuela arrived in the Colombian border city of Cúcuta.

The vehicles were parked near the Tienditas bridge, which remains blocked by Venezuelan troops.

What about Mr Maduro's interview?

Mr Maduro called US President Donald Trump's government a "gang of extremists" and blamed America for his country's crisis.

He also reiterated that he would not allow US humanitarian aid into Venezuela.

"They are warmongering in order to take over Venezuela," he said.

Mr Maduro - who still has the support of Turkey, Russia and China and, crucially, of the Venezuelan army - said he did not see the need for early presidential elections.

Mr Maduro earlier told he would not allow aid in as it was a way for the US to justify an intervention.

The US and most Western governments have recognised Mr Guaidó as interim president.

Mr Maduro, who is backed by Russia and China, is under growing pressure to call early presidential elections amid a worsening economic crisis and accusations of widespread corruption and human rights violations.

Source: bbc