US condemns Venezuela military over border killings as aid showdown looms theguardian.com

The US has condemned Venezuela’s military after soldiers shot dead two people and injured 15 others trying to keep the country’s border with Brazil open for aid deliveries. The White House warned in a statement: “Egregious violation of human rights by [President Nicolás] Maduro and those who are following his orders will not go unpunished.” The US also urged the armed forces to allow humanitarian aid to pass peacefully into the country, the day before supporters of presidential challenger Juan Guaidó plan to challenge the authority of Caracas by trying to ship food and medical donations into the country. On Friday evening, Guaidó defied a government travel ban to appear at a star-studded aid concert inside the Colombia border, drawing the biggest cheers of the evening, even after hours of performances from musicians including Maluma, Alejandro Sanz and Luis Fonsi, famous for the global hit Despacito.