Venezuela is in crisis, and its people do deserve better than the political wrangling between the embattled President, Nicolas Maduro, and the Opposition leader ~ and prospective Head of State ~ Juan Guaidó. Of course, Donald Trump’s diplomacy across borders has made the waters murkier, given his inbuilt aversion towards the Leftist Maduro. Beyond the political joust that has rendered governance in limbo for the past month, it is the average Venezuelan who is acutely suffering in the absence of essential commodities, notably food and medicines. In his anxiety to be entrenched in the presidential palace in Caracas, Maduro has stalled the supply of aid from the US. Hence the Opposition decision to mobilise the people to gather at the Colombian border and shift the stockpiled US assistance to their homeland. The planned delivery of aid is nothing short of a historic initiative and a clear defiance of Maduro’s remarkably insensitive imprimatur. It is a shot in the arm for the people as Brazil has signalled its intent to deliver humanitarian aid at the Venezuelan border by 23 February. The distribution of the food and medicine from the northern Brazilian city of Boa Vista across the border would be in Venezuelan trucks driven by Venezuelan citizens. It is fervently to be hoped that the supply of assistance will materialise, signalling (in the wider perspective) a victory of the people. Life’s essentials such as food and medicines are closer to the bone than a possible change of guard in Caracas. Guaidó, who has been recognised by the US and many other countries as Venezuela’s legitimate interim President, has set a deadline for the aid to move across the border, though representatives in Venezuela and Washington are yet to decide how the aid will cross frontiers. By any reckoning, it is a colossal effort of the people. Guaidó has called for “caravans of volunteers” to carry the aid across. The risk of a confrontation is dangerously real as the people are bound to be confronted by the military ~ which is loyal to Maduro ~ and is under orders to block the assistance. While the mission is intended to get the much-needed food and medicine to Venezuela’s suffering population, it is also intended to weaken Maduro by forcing the military to disobey its leader and allow the assistance to reach the country. Maduro appears to have gone on overkill with the claim that the US is seeking to invade Venezuela. There is little doubt that he is fighting a losing battle. It is pretty obvious too that Guaido has the support of the people. Not so Maduro, however. Politics is of lesser moment in the overall construct. The strife in Venezuela is over life-saving medicines for the sick and the dying… and food for all. Humanitarian aid must of necessity be independent of political and military intervention.

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