CARACAS, June 19. /TASS/: Venezuela has received 25 tons of humanitarian aid from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday, Healthcare Minister Carlos Alvarado told Venezolana de Television.
"Together with this batch, the volume of the aid provided by the ICRC stands at 48 tons. Together with medicines and surgical materials delivered from Russia and China, the volume of humanitarian aid stands at 569 tonnes," Alvarado said. "This helps us overcome the blockade imposed by the US," he added.
He noted earlier that ICRC delivers humanitarian aid to Venezuela every two-three weeks.
On April 16 the first ICRC arrived to Venezuela from Panama with 24 tonnes of humanitarian cargo. Before that, Russia delivered to Venezuela around 7.5 tonnes of medicines, medical instruments and equipment.
Venezuela has been going through an acute social-economic crisis in the last several years, accompanied by hyperinflation and currency devaluation. This year the situation has been further complicated by the escalation of the confrontation between the government and the opposition.
On January 23 Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido proclaimed himself as the country's acting president. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has described it as a coup attempt and announced severing diplomatic relations with the United States. On January 28 the US imposed sancitons on Venezuela's state-owned PDVSA oil company.
Guaido was recognized as interim president by the Lima Group countries (except for Mexico), as well as by Albania, Georgia, the United States, and the Organization of American States. Several EU countries came forward with support for the Venezuelan parliament and expressed hope for new elections to resolve the crisis. Maduro was supported by Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salavador, Syria and Turkey.
