WASHINGTON, February 24. /TASS/. Venezuelan servicemen who refuse to allow a humanitarian convoy into the republic will face tougher US sanctions, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said in a Twitter post on Saturday.
"Venezuela’s military has a choice: Embrace democracy, protect civilians, and allow in humanitarian aid; or face even more sanctions and isolation," he said, attaching to his message a Reuters news report about US plans to toughen its sanctions on Venezuela.
According to the agency, the US government could announce new sanctions as early as next week unless the military defies orders to block convoys of humanitarian aid.
Christian Kruger, the head of Colombia’s migration service, said over 60 Venezuelan servicemen and members of the National Guard requested asylum in Colombia on Saturday.
"We have already received requests from over 60 people from the armed forces and National Guard of Venezuela. The majority of them crossed the border in the Simon Bolivar Bridge zone," he told reporters in the border city of Cucuta.
According to Kruger, their asylum requests will be considered in line with the standard procedure.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan journalist Gabriel Bastidas said at least 23 people from various military and law enforcement agencies of Venezuela abandoned government forces and crossed the border with Colombia to side with the opposition.
"The Colombian migration authority reports that by 15:40 [local time, 22:40 Moscow time on Saturday], 23 members of various security bodies of Venezuela fled to Colombia, pledging allegiance to the constitution of Venezuela," Bastidas wrote.
He said those people were "two female police officers, one member of a special police unit, one driver of an armored vehicle, 18 National Guard members and one Navy officer."
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido earlier said that political opponents of President Nicolas Maduro have been holding secret meetings with military and security officers, vowing an amnesty for them if they join their cause. Earlier, two colonels and one military general pledged their support to Guaido.
