The Pope has said that he is willing to mediate between Venezuela’s rival presidents Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido, but only if both sides request his help.
Pope Francis, whose own country Argentina officially recognises Mr Guaido, has been urged by both men to intervene. But while Mr Maduro seeks negotiations, Mr Guaido and his supporters see that as a ploy for buying time, and say that they will only sit to talk once Mr Maduro has stepped down.
Francis, speaking to reporters on Tuesday aboard his plane returning from a trip to Abu Dhabi, also confirmed that Mr Maduro had written a letter to him, but said that he had not yet read it.
“I will read the letter and see what can be done, but the initial condition is that both sides ask for it,” he said. “We are willing.”
Mexico and Uruguay have also offered to host talks between the rivals, but Mr Guaido has turned their offer down.
He is instead relying on the rising tide of support spearheaded by the United States to oust Mr Maduro, president since 2013.
On Tuesday the US stepped up their support once again, sending planes of aid to Colombia for distribution in neighbouring Venezuela.
Mr Maduro has called on the military to turn back the humanitarian supplies, but Mr Guaido has urged the troops to allow it in, to help their long-suffering fellow citizens.
Colombia’s bustling border city of Cúcuta is set to become the first distribution point for the US aid, which John Bolton, Donald Trump’s national security adviser, announced at the weekend. Washington has pledged $20 million (£15 million) of what it is calling “humanitarian assistance.”
On Tuesday thousands of expectant Venezuelans gathered at the border crossing in Escobal on the outskirts of Cúcuta, where there were no signs of aid convoys.
“I’ve been waiting for 6 hours,” said Maria Elena Velásquez, who had made a 10 hour bus ride from the city of Maracaibo. “We have nothing. If the hunger doesn’t kill us, the lack of medicines will,” she said.
Local officials say the aid is still in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, and is expected to be transported overnight for distribution on Wednesday.
Alvaro Hernández has been in Cúcuta since he fled his home in Caracas with his wife last year.
“I’m hoping I can get some food or even clothes to send to my family,” he said. “But we’ve been here for hours and nobody’s telling us anything. People are starting to get angry.”
It is still unclear how the aid will be distributed without the support of the Venezuelan army. The UN and Red Cross have also said they will not assist. It is expected that a committee from Venezuela’s national assembly will arrive on Wednesday to co-ordinate with the Colombian military and US officials.
Mr Maduro has long refused the entry of aid shipments from the US, claiming this would open the door to military intervention. A military commander in Tachira, the Venezuelan state bordering Cúcuta, called the move “an act of provocation.”
“I am begging the Venezuelan army to allow this aid in,” said 54-year-old Rodolfo Martinez, who fled Venezuela for Colombia with his family last week. “This is the worst crisis in our history. We need this help,” he said.