China sends 2nd medical aid cargo to Venezuela

The Venezuelan Ministry of Communication reported the development to CNN, saying the aircraft carrying the aid landed in Caracas on Monday.

It described the cargo as some two million units of medical equipment, including medicine and surgical medical supplies.

In late March, China’s Xinhua news agency reported that a plane loaded with 65 tons of medicine and other medical products had arrived at the Simon Bolivar International Airport in the Venezuelan capital. The supplies were handed over to Caracas by Chinese Ambassador Li Baorong.

Last month, China dismissed claims that it had sent 120 soldiers and military supplies to the country along with the first medical cargo.

Venezuela has been shaken by political unrest in the past several months. In January, tensions worsened after Guaido, president of the defunct National Assembly, abruptly declared himself “interim president” of Venezuela, challenging the outcome of last year’s presidential election, in which Maduro had emerged victorious.

Ever since, the US and a number of its allies have recognized Guaido as the country’s leader. Washington has not ruled out the military option to take out Maduro’s government.

China, Russia, Cuba, and Iran have, however, backed Caracas in the face of Washington’s pressure.

Also in March, a Russian Air Force Antonov-124 cargo plane and a smaller Ilyushin Il-62 passenger jet brought some 100 Russian troops to Venezuela.

Responding to a call by Washington to pull the servicemen out, Moscow announced later that it would keep them on the ground in Venezuela “for as long as needed,” and that the forces’ presence there was regulated by a bilateral military and technical cooperation.