{"id":3694,"date":"2019-03-01T13:02:48","date_gmt":"2019-03-01T13:02:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vricmonitor.org\/march-2019\/"},"modified":"2024-08-21T18:35:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T18:35:19","slug":"march-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vric.securefreesociety.org\/es\/march-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"MARCH 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In February, the VRIC alliance has focused primarily on propagandizing the ongoing crisis in Venezuela while the United States has sent medical supplies, foodstuffs, and hygiene kits to the Colombian-Venezuelan and Brazilian-Venezuelan borders. The Maduro regime blocked U.S. humanitarian aid but has welcomed millions in Russian aid, as well as military technology and defense support from Russia and China.<\/p>

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The battle over humanitarian aid played out in the UN Security Council session on February 26, where Russia and China vetoed the U.S. resolution to call for free and fair elections and approve U.S. humanitarian aid to Venezuela. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin plans a future trip to Bolivia in the spring to discuss the Venezuela crisis and increase Russia\u2019s role with the ALBA bloc.<\/p>

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The increasing U.S. sanctions on Venezuela have introduced new Middle Eastern actors to the VRIC alliance. Cuba has reportedly turned to Qatar for oil, while Turkey served as a destination for 23 tons of gold from Venezuela last year. An additional eight tons of gold have recently been removed from Venezuela\u2019s central bank as its president, Calixto Ortega, was on a trip to Turkey, Russia, and China.<\/p>

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The PRC is leveraging its economic clout in the region to advance its diplomatic overtures in the Caribbean and signed major lithium deals in Bolivia and Chile. Lastly, Latin America is seeing the rise of a new trade partner and a competitor to China:\u00a0India<\/a>, who has increased its profile this past month in terms of trade and investment to the region.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Venezuela continues to grab international headlines as the United States and the Lima Group strengthen their support for the interim president, Juan Guaid\u00f3. On February 27, Vice President Mike Pence announced an additional $56 million in humanitarian aid to the Guaid\u00f3 government, while urging other Lima Group members to cancel visas of Maduro regime members and recover the stolen assets of Venezuela\u2019s public sector.<\/p>

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The VRIC alliance is trying to counter this by reportedly sending 300 tons of humanitarian aid from Russia and Iran has offered medical assistance to Venezuela. On February 28, fifteen Palestinian doctors arrived in the Vargas state of Venezuela without proper documentation prompting an outcry from various medical associations in the country.\u00a0<\/p>

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After the Maduro regime burned and blocked humanitarian assistance intended for the Venezuelan people on February 23, political tension is at an all-time high. The Maduro regime has cut diplomatic ties with Colombia and is considering doing the same with Brazil.\u00a0Prior to this, the Maduro regime held its largest military\u00a0exercise from February 10-15 called \u201cBicentenario de Angostura\u201d<\/em> to shore up support among the military\u00a0ranks.\u00a0Bolivia continues to show strong solidarity with the Maduro regime. Evo Morales is trying to advance the presidential elections in Bolivia as his government initiates a series of infrastructure projects with VRIC support.<\/p>

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VENEZUELA AID TRACKER<\/strong><\/p>
\u00a0United States<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$76 million dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Argentina<\/a><\/strong><\/td>Help unit<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Canada<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$39 million dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Chile<\/a><\/strong><\/td>17 tons of food & medical supplies<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0China<\/strong><\/td>None specified<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0EU<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$65 million euros<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Germany<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\u20ac5 million euros<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Iran<\/a><\/strong><\/td>Unspecified pledge & medical aid<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Italy<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\u20ac2 million euros<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0New Zealand<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$500,000 dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Russia<\/a><\/strong><\/td>300 tons of food & medical supplies<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Spain<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\u20ac2 million euros<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Sweden<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$7 million dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Taiwan<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$500,000 dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Turkey<\/strong><\/td>Pledged, but none specified<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0UK<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\u00a0\u00a36.5 million pounds<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>