CUCUTA, Colombia (AP) — The Latest on the political crisis in Venezuela (all times local):
11:45 a.m.
U.S. humanitarian aid destined for Venezuela is now sitting in a warehouse on the Colombian border.
The goods stored at the border city of Cucuta, which is just across the river from Venezuela, consist of corn, flour, lentils and cans of tuna.
Volunteers hustled about as they filled up white sacks with the food and other items from boxes marked with the words USAID.
Venezuela’s opposition is vowing to deliver the aid to the South American country, but no timeline has been released.
The border bridge near where the aid is being stored has been blocked by the Venezuelan military.
President Nicolas Maduro has said Venezuela isn’t a nation of “beggars” and won’t accept the U.S. humanitarian assistance.
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6:15 a.m.
An international group of parliamentarians is urging Venezuela’s government to stop the “ongoing harassment” of opposition lawmakers and denouncing “intimidation” of 60 parliamentarians — including 40 who have allegedly faced physical attacks.
The Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union, which counts 178 parliaments as members, says it’s also monitoring the impact of a Venezuelan Supreme Court decision “ordering a blanket investigation into possible criminal conduct by members of the National Assembly.”
Rogier Huizenga, secretary of the IPU’s human rights committee, expressed concern the opposition-controlled Assembly is “being ill-treated.”
Opposition leader Juan Guaido has declared himself interim president in Venezuela, a move recognized by several dozen countries, but Preside11:15 nt Nicolas Maduro is refusing to relinquish power.
Huizenga said Friday that the committee has asked to send a mission to Venezuela, and has seen informal signs that this might be agreed.
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5:50 a.m.
Romania’s president has officially recognized Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president almost a week after other European Union countries recognized him.
President Klaus Iohannis said Friday that Romania had decided to join other EU countries and allies in recognizing Guaido partly because Bucharest currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency. Iohannis, in charge of the country’s foreign policy, said Romania needed to have “quick, fundamental and firm reactions” to international developments.
Several EU countries, including Spain, Germany, Britain and France, had given Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government an eight-day deadline to call a new presidential election. The deadline expired Sunday and they recognized Guaido as interim president.
Guaido, who heads the opposition-led National Assembly, declared himself Venezuela’s legitimate ruler on Jan. 23. He has the support of Washington and most South American nations.
