The regime of Nicolás Maduro has repressed the entrance of humanitarian aid with a new paramilitary group composed of FARC dissidents

After Jan. 23, when Juan Guaidó was sworn in as acting president of Venezuela, threatening graffiti recurred in the streets of Táchira on the border with Colombia: "The collectives take the border to defend the revolution."

The messages came true a few weeks later, this Saturday, February 23, when the Venezuelan opposition tried to get humanitarian aid through this border. That day, the new paramilitary group consisting of Chavista and dissident groups of Colombian FARC guerrillas shifted to action, according to InSight Crime, an NGO dedicated to the study of organized crime in Latin America .

Saturday's bloody day left 285 injured in two border bridges. In addition, the Venezuelan opposition and the Criminal Forum data indicated that there had been 4 dead and more than 20 bullet wounded in the city of Santa Elena de Uairén, in the state of Bolivar, on the border with Brazil, where humanitarian aid was also attempted. . And already this new paramilitary armed group is held responsible for the brutal repression.

Sources in Táchira state informed InSight Crime that the regime's plan provided for the activation of the Border Security Collective, a group of armed civilians and dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), known since August 2018.

Since then, we know that members of the Border Security Collective would be trained by members of the Colombian guerrillas in a camp located in the town of Palotal, municipality of Bolívar, in the state of Táchira.

InSight Crime has verified that about 70 motorcycles, probably members of the Safety Collective, had opened their doors in the streets of San Antonio and Ureña, in Táchira, on January 23, during protests against Maduro. On this occasion, the NGO Fundaredes held them responsible for the deaths of two demonstrators that day.

Until now, the Border Security Group had been hiding and their presence in the streets of Táchira was recorded only on painted walls depicting the silhouette of a man carrying a rifle .