{"id":52891,"date":"2019-02-23T10:01:49","date_gmt":"2019-02-23T10:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=52891"},"modified":"2019-02-23T10:01:49","modified_gmt":"2019-02-23T10:01:49","slug":"venezuela-crisis-border-clashes-as-aid-row-intensifies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=52891","title":{"rendered":"Venezuela crisis: Border clashes as aid row intensifies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"International desk: At least two people have been killed and several others injured in clashes near Venezuela's border with Brazil, local media report.<\/p>\n

Venezuelan security forces opened fire on a group of civilians who tried to prevent them from blocking the border.<\/p>\n

President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro has closed the country's border with Brazil amid a row over the delivery of humanitarian aid.<\/p>\n

The incident came as thousands attended two rival concerts on either side of a bridge linking Venezuela and Colombia.<\/p>\n

Opposition leader Juan Guaid\u00f3, who declared himself interim leader last month, attended the Colombian concert along with several Latin American leaders.<\/p>\n

The clashes occurred when members of the community confronted Venezuelan troops on Friday morning in the southern Venezuelan town of Kumarakapay, AFP news agency reports.<\/p>\n

Troops then opened fire on individuals who tried to block a road with the aim of preventing military vehicles from passing, witnesses said.<\/p>\n

A local woman and her husband were killed (in Spanish), according to the human rights group Kap\u00e9 Kap\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Why are there clashes at the border?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Venezuela is in the grip of a political and economic crisis. The country's inflation rate has seen prices soar, leaving many Venezuelans struggling to afford basic items such as food, toiletries and medicine.<\/p>\n

Around 2.7 million people have fled the country since 2015.<\/p>\n

Mr Guaid\u00f3 says a lack of basic items has left thousands of others at risk of dying.<\/p>\n

Humanitarian aid for Venezuela has been arriving at the borders of neighbouring Colombia and Brazil.<\/p>\n

Mr Guaid\u00f3 and his allies hope to collect the relief gathered there on Saturday, in defiance of President Maduro, who denies any crisis and calls the aid plans a US-orchestrated show.<\/p>\n

President Maduro has said he could also shut the border with Colombia to stop the opposition bringing in aid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

International desk: At least two people have been killed and several others injured in clashes near Venezuela’s border with Brazil, local media report. Venezuelan security forces opened fire on a group of civilians who tried to prevent them from blocking the border. President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro has closed the country’s border with Brazil amid a row […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":52892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,14],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n