Trump Tells Venezuela Military to Accept Guaido Or Else

Date: 19 February 2019 - 21:49

News ID: ۶۳۳۲۶

WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Venezuela's military to accept opposition leader Juan Guaido, or stand to "lose everything".
Guaido has given the government of President Nicolas Maduro until Saturday to let shipments of U.S. "aid” into the country, with Trump saying he had a message for the Venezuelan military which backs Maduro.
"You cannot hide from the choice that now confronts you. You can choose to accept president Guaido's generous offer of amnesty to live your life in peace with your families and your countrymen.
"Or you can choose the second path: continuing to support Maduro. If you choose this path, you will find no safe harbor, no easy exit and no way out. You will lose everything."
Guaido has set a target of signing up to a million volunteers to help bring in the U.S. package, with 600,000 already registered.
Maduro countered with his own announcement of 300 tonnes of aid from Russia, which he said would reach Venezuela by Wednesday -- three days ahead of a potential showdown brought about by his February 23 deadline.
Speaking at an official event broadcast on TV, Maduro said the shipment contained "high-value medicine." He has previously announced the arrival of aid from China, Cuba and Russia, his main international allies.
Maduro dismisses the opposition moves as a "political show" and a cover for a U.S. invasion.
Guaido has ordered the armed forces to let the U.S. shipments pass, but they remain loyal to Maduro, who has instructed his army to prepare a "special deployment plan" for the 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border with Colombia.
Maduro has dismissed the aid as "crumbs" and "rotten and contaminated food," while blaming shortages of food and medicine on U.S. sanctions.
Maduro said on Friday the United States has been "stealing” billions of dollars from the Latin American country through sanctions.
"They’ve stolen $30 billion and are offering four crumbs of rotten food,” the president added, referring to the United States.
Maduro also accused Colombia and the U.S. of hatching "war plans" against his country and called on the military to prepare a "special plan" for countering such threats by reinforcing Venezuela’s borders.