The United States plans to deliver tons of humanitarian assistance across the Venezuelan border in hopes of alleviating a "wholly manmade catastrophe" Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday.
"This weekend, we will attempt to deliver what are now hundreds of tons of humanitarian assistance that the American people, our taxpayers, have generally paid for," Pompeo told NBC's "Today." "We hope we can get it across the border."
Socialist President Nicolas Maduro has vowed to block the aid. Last weekend, the first of three C-17 cargo planes left Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida.
They landed in the town of Cucuta, Colombia, a collection point for aid to be delivered by Jean Guaido, who has been recognized by the United States as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
"Three million refugees had to leave the country," Pompeo said. "The humanitarian crisis is enormous. It is always an American interest, to try to feed those (hungry) that, in this case, the government caused."
The United States does not want a "Cuban puppet state" in Venezuela, said Pompeo.
"There are many American interests, and President (Donald) Trump is determined to protect the American people and to provide humanitarian assistance in this true crisis," he added.
Maduro says the aid is illegal and not necessary, and has blamed his country's hunger issues on U.S. restrictions and on his domestic enemies.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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