Humanitarian aid to Venezuela was burned by the opposition, not by Maduro's forces.
A video obtained by the American newspaper The New York Times allows for a reconstruction of the incident and shows that a Molotov cocktail thrown by a protester against government forces became the most likely cause of the fire; when consulted, American authorities continue to say that Maduro was responsible for the fires because he prevented the trucks from entering the country.
Sputnik Brazil - While American authorities accuse Nicolás Maduro's government of ordering the burning of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, The New York Times shows that the opposition was responsible for the incident.
A video obtained by The New York Times allows for the reconstruction of the incident and shows that a Molotov cocktail thrown by a protester at government forces became the most likely cause of the fire.
At one point, a homemade incendiary device, made from a bottle, was thrown at Venezuelan police who were blocking a bridge connecting Colombia and Venezuela to prevent trucks from passing. However, the video shows the cloth used to light the Molotov cocktail separating from the bottle and flying towards the truck.
Within seconds, the truck bursts into flames. The same protester can be seen 20 minutes earlier, in a different video, hitting another truck with a Molotov cocktail, but without setting it on fire.
To clarify the situation, the publication contacted American authorities. They stated that "eyewitness accounts indicate that the fire started when Maduro's forces violently blocked the entry of humanitarian aid," and did not specify that Maduro's forces were the ones who started the fire.
American authorities also noted that, whatever the circumstances, they hold Maduro responsible for the incident because he blocked the trucks' entrance that day.
"Maduro is responsible for creating the conditions for the violence," declared Garrett Marquis, spokesman for the National Security Council. "His thugs blocked the entry of tons of food and medicine, while thousands of courageous volunteers sought to safeguard and deliver the aid to Venezuelan families."
On February 23, the opposition led by Juan Guaidó attempted to bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela, which was rejected by the country's legitimate authorities. President Maduro's government declares that the attempts to deliver humanitarian aid are a provocation and are used to cover up aggression against the country.
Upon arrival, several trucks carrying aid were burned at the border with Colombia, while four people were killed at the border with Brazil, according to the Venezuelan non-governmental organization Fórum Criminal.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, in turn, recalled that, according to International Humanitarian Law, humanitarian aid is provided in the case of natural disasters, armed conflicts, and war. According to Rodriguez, the allegations about the current humanitarian crisis in the country are intended to justify an invasion of Venezuela, but the people will not allow it.