Queues built up at the border between Venezuela and Brazil following the order to close it
February 21, 2019, Vehicles queued at the border with Venezuela, as Maduro closed the border between Brazil and Venezuela to block any form of Aid from entering the country. Maduro, the president of Venezuela is doing that while Venezuelans are suffering from hunger and diseases.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced he is closing the border with Brazil on Thursday night as a row over foreign humanitarian aid continues.
The embattled leftist leader went on TV to say that he was also considering shutting the border with Colombia to stop the opposition bringing in relief.
He denies any crisis and calls the aid delivery plans a US-orchestrated show and if they accept the aid, then that would allow the US overturn his government.
However, the opposition leader Juan Guaidó is for the aid and in support of the US and other countries is fighting to see that Venezuelans get aid from US and Brazil.
Mr Guaidó declared himself interim leader during anti-government protests last month and is recognized by dozens of foreign states, including the US.
Scuffles broke out and tear gas was fired when the convoy of buses and cars was briefly stopped by security forces on a road near Mariara, west of Caracas, but they later moved on.
Meanwhile, after the closure of the border with Brazil was announced, many Venezuelans rushed across the frontier to the Brazilian city of Pacaraima to stock up on supplies, Brazilian news portal G1 reported.
Mr Guaidó and his allies hope to collect food and medicine in defiance of President Maduro.
The Venezuelan military has so far managed to block shipments of US aid from coming across the border with Colombia.
Despite denying there is any humanitarian crisis, Mr Maduro announced this week that 300 tonnes of aid would be shipped to Venezuela from its ally Russia.
More than three million Venezuelans have fled in recent years as the country grapples with hyperinflation and shortages of essentials like food and medicine, the UN says.
Mr Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has been criticized at home and abroad for his handling of the economy.