From the border with Venezuela, in Roraima, journalist André Vieira reports on the protests and finds no evidence of “humanitarian aid”.
This Saturday (23), on the border between Brazil and Venezuela, was a day of expectation. Since Thursday (21), the border between the two countries had been closed by the decision of President Nicolás Maduro due to threats of attacks against the sovereignty of his country.
In the morning, the Brazilian city of Pacaraima hosted the arrival of a delegation of the Brazilian Chancellor accompanied by the United States diplomatic representative and a delegation sent by Juan Guaidó. They gave statements about the operation of delivering the supposed humanitarian aid, denounced by the Venezuelan government and by the international community as one more stage of the coup d’état against Maduro.
In the morning, although a 200-ton shipment was promised, the first Venezuelan pickup truck arrived in Pacaraima, on the Brazilian side of the border. It came from the capital of the state of Roraima, Boa Vista, escorted by Brazilian police and was carrying some of the products announced. Earlier, Chancellor Ernesto Araújo said the arrival of the products marked the beginning of a new phase.
After midday, the second truck arrived. Throughout the afternoon, the two vehicles stood at the border. Two ambulances also arrived at Pacaraima, bringing wounded people from the Venezuelan side. Since Friday, they were the only vehicles authorized to cross the border since its closure.
At the end of the afternoon, there was an initial conflict between participants of the so-called humanitarian aid operation and the two trucks headed towards the platoon of the Brazilian army and have not returned again.
Shortly after, a group initiated a stronger provocation against the Venezuelan military. They threw stones and Molotov cocktails. Cars and a Venezuelan military building were set on fire near a PDVSA post, which was answered by the Venezuelan military with tear gas bombs to disperse the attack.
On the Brazilian side, police ordered demonstrators to move away from the border, which they occupied throughout the day. The demonstrators returned to the center of the Brazilian city.
The day, promised by Nicolás Maduro’s opponents as a pivotal day, ended on this border without the crossing of any supposed humanitarian aid.
Edition: Pedro Ribeiro Nogueira
Translation by Internationalist 360°
