Finally, Maduro has yielded and the Red Cross humanitarian aid will enter Venezuela

Finally, humanitarian aid will enter Venezuela, but not as expected by the opposition. The Nicolás Maduro government has reached an agreement with the the Red Cross (ICRC) to help the Venezuelan population affected by the serious economic crisis that the oil country has been going through for several years. For its part, the international organization explained that the agreement focuses on in "provide emergency health care"

After a meeting with the ICRC's international committee chairman, Peter Maurer, Maduro said that they had agreed to "work for bring to Venezuela all the support, all the humanitarian aid that can be provided ".

Without referring directly to the opposition, Maduro insisted that aid should enter the country "without politicization of any kind".

Last February, the Venezuelan opposition tried to enter the country through the Colombian and Brazilian borders with several tons of help provided by the United States, Chile, Colombia and other countries of the region. However, these shipments were rejected by the Chavez administration with the argument that it was a political game and it was not of a humanitarian nature.

The president said that his foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, was working on the negotiation of a "formal" document with the Red Cross, in which the aid reception parameters are set in such a way as to what the international committee of the organization the "rector" of all the "mechanisms" who want to help. "Respect the sovereignty of our country, without politicization of any kind, without false representation (…) and by effectively respecting the security protocols," he said.

Maduro said that he is "Welcome to all that is legal", although he stressed that "Venezuela has long received China, Russia, Turkey, India" and "humanitarian aid" backed by Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

"Urgent health care"

For his part, the president of the International Committee also said that the organization was willing to deal with the crisis in Venezuela and reduce its "negative impacts" on citizens.

Maurer went to the country for five days and had talks with Maduro, several ministers, the two vice-presidents of Parliament, doctors, nurses, patients and civil society badociations. There is a very good spirit of cooperation"he said at a meeting with reporters in Caracas.

In this context, he indicated that the Red Cross saw difficulties of some hospitals to provide services to people who lack water or electricity and have stated that they can also cooperate in these areas, as well as for the rehabilitation of health centers. But "we can not rehabilitate the whole health system" and "We can not handle all the problems"he explained.

On the page of the organization, it was explained that "the ICRC has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health to provide emergency care to the Venezuelan population. Twenty-eight hospitals and eight centers primary health care in Venezuela will receive training, water and sanitation facilities and ICRC "

"The ICRC has been present in Venezuela since 1966 and supports the Venezuelan people by providing humanitarian aid in a neutral, impartial and independent way," the organization said.