Pentagon Says Delivery Of US Aid To Columbia For Venezuela Have Been 'Peaceful Missions'

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd February, 2019) Deliveries of US aid to Colombia for Venezuela have been peaceful missions, Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Jamie Davis told Sputnik.

Earlier on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the United States is deploying special forces and weapons closer to the Venezuelan border.

"The recent US military airlift missions to Cucuta, Colombia have been peaceful missions transporting humanitarian aid donated by the US government for people suffering as a result of the man-made crisis in Venezuela," Davis said on Friday.

The US military, Davis added, has a long history of supporting civilian-led humanitarian missions to ensure aid reaches people impacted by life-threatening crises and disasters.

The situation in Venezuela turned into a serious crisis since speaker of parliament Juan Guaido had proclaimed himself the country's interim president on January 23.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called Guaido a US puppet and accused Washington of organizing a coup in Venezuela.

The Venezuelan opposition set February 23 as the date for bringing in US relief aid that had been collected at logistics hubs in Brazil, Colombia and on Curacao. Maduro, however, refused to allow the aid into the country, blasting it as a ploy to topple his government.

Earlier in the day, Maduro said that Venezuela has agreed to accept an EU humanitarian aid offer worth $2.3 billion that will be delivered via the UN system.

The UN and international aid groups have called on the United States to not politicize humanitarian aid.

The United States, Canada and a number of their allies have recognized Guaido's leadership, while Russia, China, Mexico and Turkey have stressed that Maduro is the only legitimate president and called for dialogue.