Brazil to open humanitarian aid collection center for Venezuelans

Brazil has agreed to set up a humanitarian aid collection center for Venezuela in the border region of Roraima (north), reported Monday in Brasilia Lester Toledo, coordinator of humanitarian aid appointed by the opposition Juan Guaidó, recognized as interim president by half a hundred countries.

"We can officially say that it will be the second largest collection center after Cúcuta [en Colombia] and that Brazil join this coalition ", which insists on the exit of the president Nicolás Maduro, affirmed Toledo after being received by the chancellor Ernesto Araújo.

Toledo said that "in the coming days" will visit Roraima, "to see where this collection center will be", so that "from next week (…) begin to arrive the first tons of help".

"There are dozens of countries in the region, the Lima group and Europe, which are already on the verge of bringing the first tons of help, medical supplies and food," did he declare.

In Cucuta, foodstuffs and drugs sent by the United States are since Thursday in a storage center located near the border bridge of Tienditas, blocked by the Venezuelan army with two containers and a tank.

Asked about how humanitarian aid could be sent from Brazil, Toledo said the Guaidó team was betting on the support of the Venezuelan army and the support of the "people", regardless of Maduro's orders.

"Military [venezolanos] all they expect, it's an order. They know that this humanitarian aid goes from food for their children and medicine for the sick, "he said.

"We received very good signals from Venezuela, from the Church, from NGOs, for internal distribution, how are you going to get in? With people, with the support of those who want change," did he declare.

Maria Teresa Belandria, named "ambbadador" in Brazil of self-proclaimed president Guaidó, claimed that Chancellor Araújo would personally visit the collection center once installed, "to show not only the support provided by the shipment of tons [de ayuda], but political support ".

Brazil and Venezuela share a border of about 2,200 kilometers. Over the past three years, more than 150,000 Venezuelans have entered Brazil, fleeing hyperinflation, scarcity and violence. Since 2015, only the poor state of Roraima has received 75,500 applications for regularization.