(CNN)Venezuela’s self-declared interim president and opposition leader, Juan Guaido, is set to meet US Vice President Mike Pence in the Colombian capital Bogota Monday, following a weekend of deadly violence at the Venezuelan border.Fresh violence erupted after the Venezuelan military blocked food and supplies from crossing the border from Colombia. The Colombian foreign minister said 285 people were hurt, and 37 hospitalized, after the Venezuelan National Guard fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters near the Colombian border Saturday.Guaido, who is battling President Nicolas Maduro for control of the country, had called for other nations to send aid to Venezuela in response to worsening food and medicine shortages.
Pompeo says more sanctions on Venezuela to comeNational Assembly Representative and Guaido supporter Adriana Pichardo told CNN that at least five people were also killed in clashes with Venezuelan security forces.CNN cannot independently confirm the number of fatalities, but Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said there were four deaths and 300 injuries Friday and Saturday.Sunday was quieter. Small clashes broke out again at a town near the border with Colombia. CNN’s team in Ureña, Venezuela, saw dozens of people throwing rocks toward Venezuela’s National Guard, who fired back with rubber bullets. There was no report on injuries.Maduro put out a defiant message Sunday.”The people are united in the streets, mobilized and alert in every corner of the country,” he said on Twitter. “I call on men and women of goodwill, not to lower their guard and to stay in the fight to preserve Venezuela’s peace. Long live the Rebel homeland!”
El pueblo está unido en las calles, movilizado y alerta en todos los rincones del país. Llamo a los hombres y mujeres de buena voluntad, a no bajar la guardia y a mantenerse en pie de lucha para preservar la Paz de Venezuela. ¡Viva la Patria Rebelde!8,39910:45 AM – Feb 24, 20198,369 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacyWhen he arrived in Bogota, Guaido said, “Yesterday we saw an unprecedented crime with the burning of humanitarian aid that generously arrived at the Colombian collection point and which was then handed over to Venezuelan volunteers, who are again insisting that it’s necessary to save lives. Venezuela today is again in crisis and it could have been alleviated yesterday.”Guaido declared that Saturday was the deadline to move the food and other supplies across the border.But Maduro vowed to block the supplies, denying that a humanitarian crisis exists in Venezuela and suggesting that aid efforts are part of a US plot to orchestrate a coup.
Trucks torched
Violence flares at Venezuela’s borderBogota on Saturday night said all border crossings between Colombia and Venezuela would be closed Sunday and Monday so that authorities could evaluate damage to infrastructure it said had been caused by the Maduro government.Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said Sunday — after security forces had fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters — that the country’s security forces had protected the border in “exemplary” fashion.But Bachelet, the UN official, said the violence was excessive.”People have been shot and killed, others have reportedly received wounds from which they will never completely recover, including losing eyes,” she said in a statement. “These are disgraceful scenes. The Venezuelan government must stop its forces from using excessive force against unarmed protesters and ordinary citizens.”The governor of Roraima, the Brazilian state bordering Venezuela, declared a state of medical emergency on Sunday, according to a press release from the Roraima Ministry of Health.
A Venezuelan Bolivarian National Guard officer throws a teargas grenade towards demonstrator in Urena Saturday.Governor Antonio Denarium is quoted in the release saying the state’s largest hospital, in the capital Boa Vista, is “at the brink of collapse” following the influx of victims injured in clashes across the border in Venezuela. As of now, 20 patients are being treated in Roraima hospitals, according to the release.Trucks carrying supplies were blocked at most spots Saturday. Humanitarian aid moved through the Brazilian-Venezuelan border in Pacaraima, according to Maria Teresa Belandria, Venezuela’s opposition-appointed ambassador to Brazil.Witnesses said two trucks were set ablaze while attempting to cross into Venezuela from Colombia.CNN cannot independently confirm the incident or the circumstances of how the two trucks were set on fire.Rodriguez accused Guaido supporters of burning the trucks. While a CNN team saw incendiary devices from police on the Venezuelan side of the border ignite the trucks, the network’s journalists are unsure if the trucks were burned on purpose.Venezuelan soldiers faced off against protesters who were demanding to cross the border at Ureña to go work in Colombia, according to a CNN crew that witnessed the scene at the Tienditas Bridge.In a sign that Maduro’s grip on the military — control of which is seen as integral to forcing new elections — could be waning, Colombia’s customs agency said Sunday that 104 members of Venezuela’s security forces have defected, entering Colombia.
Images of burning trucks ‘sickening’
In a series of tweets Saturday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the actions of Maduro’s government and said the US would “take action against those who oppose the peaceful restoration of democracy in Venezuela.”“We denounce Maduro’s refusal to let humanitarian assistance reach #Venezuela. What kind of a sick tyrant stops food from getting to hungry people? The images of burning trucks filled with aid are sickening,” Pompeo tweeted.
Secretary Pompeo✔@SecPompeo · Feb 23, 2019
The U.S. condemns the attacks on civilians in #Venezuela perpetrated by Maduro’s thugs. These attacks have resulted in deaths and injuries. Our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have died due to these criminal acts. We join their demand for justice. #EstamosUnidosVE
We denounce Maduro’s refusal to let humanitarian assistance reach #Venezuela. What kind of a sick tyrant stops food from getting to hungry people? The images of burning trucks filled with aid are sickening. pic.twitter.com/bJ1Qsxkgx87,5587:53 PM – Feb 23, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy
6,356 people are talking about thisHe blamed “Maduro’s thugs” for attacks on civilians, accused “Cuban agents” of directing the attacks and praised opposition leader Guaido — recognized by 50 nations including the US as Venezuela’s interim president — for leading the effort to allow the aid through.”While Interim President Juan Guaido builds distribution networks for humanitarian assistance, Maduro blocks its entry and sends armed criminal gangs to attack the innocent civilians accompanying the convoys,” Pompeo said in a statement Saturday.
US leaders weigh in
On Monday, Pence will travel to Colombia to address a meeting of the Lima Group — made up of leaders mostly from Latin American countries. The White House said Pence would “voice the United States’ unwavering support for interim President Juan Guaido and highlight the Venezuelan people’s fight for democracy over dictatorship.”A White House official said Saturday that Pence will meet with Guaido on Monday in Bogota, during Pence’s visit to Colombia.
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisThe president of Venezuela’s Supreme Court, Maikel Moreno, speaks at a news conference in Caracas on January 29.Hide Caption24 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA man pumps fuel at a gas station in Caracas on January 29. A day earlier, the United States announced sanctions against Venezuela’s state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.Hide Caption25 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisSupporters of Venezuela’s opposition hold up letters that read “Justice” at a rally to hear Guaido speak in Caracas on Saturday, January 26.Hide Caption26 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido speaks to reporters after attending Mass in Caracas on Sunday, January 27.Hide Caption27 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGovernment supporters in Caracas hold a rally in support of Maduro on January 26.Hide Caption28 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisMaduro holds a news conference in Caracas on Friday, January 25. The Venezuelan strongman has accused Guaido and the United States of trying to orchestrate a coup against him.Hide Caption29 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisPortraits of former Venezuelan leaders Simon Bolivar and Hugo Chavez hover in the background as Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, bottom left, addresses a news conference in Caracas on Thursday, January 24. Venezuela’s top military officials swore their allegiance to Maduro after other nations recognized Guaido as head of state.Hide Caption30 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA man wrapped in a Venezuelan flag raises his arms in front of security forces during anti-government protests in Caracas on Wednesday, January 23.Hide Caption31 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisOpposition supporters in Caracas protest Maduro on January 23.Hide Caption32 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisOpposition supporters react to tear gas as they take part in the Caracas rally on January 23. Sporadic clashes erupted, but Maduro’s military response to the protests seemed more measured than in the past.Hide Caption33 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisPolice secure an area in Caracas on January 23.Hide Caption34 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA National Police officer fires rubber bullets in Caracas.Hide Caption35 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisPeople raise their hands to show solidarity with Guaido, who was declaring himself interim president on January 23.Hide Caption36 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA wounded protester in Caracas on January 23.Hide Caption37 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisSecurity forces stand in a street full of stones after clashing with demonstrators in Caracas.Hide Caption38 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisMaduro, speaking to a crowd of supporters at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, holds up a document that says his government is breaking off diplomatic ties with the United States. “We cannot accept the invasive policies of the empire, the United States, the policies of Donald Trump,” he said to cheers from the crowd on January 23. “Venezuela is a land of liberators.”Hide Caption39 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA wounded protester shows his back as riot police clashed with opposition demonstrators in Caracas on January 23.Hide Caption40 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA man walks by a bus that had been set on fire in Caracas.Hide Caption41 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisAn opposition demonstrator runs with a tear-gas canister on January 23.Hide Caption42 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido greets a crowd in Caracas on January 23.Hide Caption43 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisProtesters set up barricades to block a road in Caracas.Hide Caption44 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA National Police officer fires tear gas at demonstrators in Caracas while another shoots the scene with a cell phone.Hide Caption45 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisDemonstrators in Caracas protest Maduro’s government.Hide Caption46 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisVenezuelan banknotes were thrown on the ground during the Maduro protests on January 23.Hide Caption47 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA demonstrator confronts a member of the Venezuelan National Guard on Saturday, February 23, in Urena, Venezuela, near the Colombian border.Hide Caption1 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisVenezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó stands on a truck carrying humanitarian aid for Venezuela on February 23. “We have peaceful intentions regarding this humanitarian and multilateral effort,” Guaido said, speaking at the Colombia-Venezuela border. He described it as a “peaceful effort that wants to save lives.”Hide Caption2 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisDemonstrators clash with Venezuelan soldiers at the Simon Bolivar International Bridge in Cucuta, Colombia, on February 23.Hide Caption3 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisSupporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro take part in a march in Caracas on February 23.Hide Caption4 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisDemonstrators push a bus that was set on fire during clashes with the Venezuelan National Guard in Urena, Venezuela, on February 23.Hide Caption5 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisVenezuelan President Nicolas Maduro waves the national flag during a pro-government march in Caracas on February 23. During the rally at the Venezuelan capital, Maduro told supporters he is breaking all diplomatic relations with Colombia and is calling for its ambassadors and consuls to leave Venezuela.Hide Caption6 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisPeople attempt to salvage packages from a truck loaded with humanitarian aid after it was set ablaze on the Francisco de Paula Santander International Bridge between Cucuta, Colombia, and Urena, Venezuela, on February 23.Hide Caption7 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisVenezuelan opposition supporters returned to the streets of Caracas on Tuesday, February 12, calling on embattled President Nicolas Maduro to let humanitarian aid into the economically crippled country.Hide Caption8 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisNational Assembly President Juan Guaido, who has declared himself the acting president of Venezuela, addresses the crowd in Caracas on February 12.Hide Caption9 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA man wearing a Venezuelan flag sits on a traffic light during the demonstration in Caracas on February 12.Hide Caption10 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisActivists pour into the streets of Caracas on Saturday, February 2, to back Guaido’s call for early elections.Hide Caption11 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido waves to supporters during the rally in Caracas on February 2.Hide Caption12 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisAn anti-government protester wears glasses with a Venezuelan flag motif at the demonstration in Caracas on February 2.Hide Caption13 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisProtesters take to the streets of Caracas on February 2.Hide Caption14 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisProtesters gather for the Caracas rally on February 2.Hide Caption15 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisMaduro supporters gather in Caracas on February 2.Hide Caption16 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisOpposition demonstrators protest against Maduro’s government on Wednesday, January 30.Hide Caption17 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisIn this handout photo released by the Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Maduro flashes a “V for victory” hand gesture after arriving at the Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas on January 30. Maduro has begun a second term after a 2018 vote that his political opposition and many in the international community denounced as a sham.Hide Caption18 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisMembers of the National Police line up to guard the entrance of Venezuela’s Central University in Caracas during an anti-government protest on January 30.Hide Caption19 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido speaks to reporters in Caracas on January 30. The United States and more than a dozen other countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate ruler.Hide Caption20 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA Maduro mural is seen in the Petare slum of Caracas on Tuesday, January 29.Hide Caption21 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido listens to deputy Rafael Veloz during a session at the National Assembly in Caracas on January 29. The Assembly met to debate a legal framework for creating a transitional government and calling new elections. Simultaneously, Venezuela’s attorney general asked the Supreme Court to freeze Guaido’s assets and bar him from leaving the country.Hide Caption22 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA view of the National Assembly building in Caracas on January 29.Hide Caption23 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisThe president of Venezuela’s Supreme Court, Maikel Moreno, speaks at a news conference in Caracas on January 29.Hide Caption24 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA man pumps fuel at a gas station in Caracas on January 29. A day earlier, the United States announced sanctions against Venezuela’s state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.Hide Caption25 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisSupporters of Venezuela’s opposition hold up letters that read “Justice” at a rally to hear Guaido speak in Caracas on Saturday, January 26.Hide Caption26 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido speaks to reporters after attending Mass in Caracas on Sunday, January 27.Hide Caption27 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGovernment supporters in Caracas hold a rally in support of Maduro on January 26.Hide Caption28 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisMaduro holds a news conference in Caracas on Friday, January 25. The Venezuelan strongman has accused Guaido and the United States of trying to orchestrate a coup against him.Hide Caption29 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisPortraits of former Venezuelan leaders Simon Bolivar and Hugo Chavez hover in the background as Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, bottom left, addresses a news conference in Caracas on Thursday, January 24. Venezuela’s top military officials swore their allegiance to Maduro after other nations recognized Guaido as head of state.Hide Caption30 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA man wrapped in a Venezuelan flag raises his arms in front of security forces during anti-government protests in Caracas on Wednesday, January 23.Hide Caption31 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisOpposition supporters in Caracas protest Maduro on January 23.Hide Caption32 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisOpposition supporters react to tear gas as they take part in the Caracas rally on January 23. Sporadic clashes erupted, but Maduro’s military response to the protests seemed more measured than in the past.Hide Caption33 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisPolice secure an area in Caracas on January 23.Hide Caption34 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA National Police officer fires rubber bullets in Caracas.Hide Caption35 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisPeople raise their hands to show solidarity with Guaido, who was declaring himself interim president on January 23.Hide Caption36 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA wounded protester in Caracas on January 23.Hide Caption37 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisSecurity forces stand in a street full of stones after clashing with demonstrators in Caracas.Hide Caption38 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisMaduro, speaking to a crowd of supporters at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, holds up a document that says his government is breaking off diplomatic ties with the United States. “We cannot accept the invasive policies of the empire, the United States, the policies of Donald Trump,” he said to cheers from the crowd on January 23. “Venezuela is a land of liberators.”Hide Caption39 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA wounded protester shows his back as riot police clashed with opposition demonstrators in Caracas on January 23.Hide Caption40 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA man walks by a bus that had been set on fire in Caracas.Hide Caption41 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisAn opposition demonstrator runs with a tear-gas canister on January 23.Hide Caption42 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido greets a crowd in Caracas on January 23.Hide Caption43 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisProtesters set up barricades to block a road in Caracas.Hide Caption44 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA National Police officer fires tear gas at demonstrators in Caracas while another shoots the scene with a cell phone.Hide Caption45 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisDemonstrators in Caracas protest Maduro’s government.Hide Caption46 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisVenezuelan banknotes were thrown on the ground during the Maduro protests on January 23.Hide Caption47 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA demonstrator confronts a member of the Venezuelan National Guard on Saturday, February 23, in Urena, Venezuela, near the Colombian border.Hide Caption1 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisVenezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó stands on a truck carrying humanitarian aid for Venezuela on February 23. “We have peaceful intentions regarding this humanitarian and multilateral effort,” Guaido said, speaking at the Colombia-Venezuela border. He described it as a “peaceful effort that wants to save lives.”Hide Caption2 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisDemonstrators clash with Venezuelan soldiers at the Simon Bolivar International Bridge in Cucuta, Colombia, on February 23.Hide Caption3 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisSupporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro take part in a march in Caracas on February 23.Hide Caption4 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisDemonstrators push a bus that was set on fire during clashes with the Venezuelan National Guard in Urena, Venezuela, on February 23.Hide Caption5 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisVenezuelan President Nicolas Maduro waves the national flag during a pro-government march in Caracas on February 23. During the rally at the Venezuelan capital, Maduro told supporters he is breaking all diplomatic relations with Colombia and is calling for its ambassadors and consuls to leave Venezuela.Hide Caption6 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisPeople attempt to salvage packages from a truck loaded with humanitarian aid after it was set ablaze on the Francisco de Paula Santander International Bridge between Cucuta, Colombia, and Urena, Venezuela, on February 23.Hide Caption7 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisVenezuelan opposition supporters returned to the streets of Caracas on Tuesday, February 12, calling on embattled President Nicolas Maduro to let humanitarian aid into the economically crippled country.Hide Caption8 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisNational Assembly President Juan Guaido, who has declared himself the acting president of Venezuela, addresses the crowd in Caracas on February 12.Hide Caption9 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA man wearing a Venezuelan flag sits on a traffic light during the demonstration in Caracas on February 12.Hide Caption10 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisActivists pour into the streets of Caracas on Saturday, February 2, to back Guaido’s call for early elections.Hide Caption11 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido waves to supporters during the rally in Caracas on February 2.Hide Caption12 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisAn anti-government protester wears glasses with a Venezuelan flag motif at the demonstration in Caracas on February 2.Hide Caption13 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisProtesters take to the streets of Caracas on February 2.Hide Caption14 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisProtesters gather for the Caracas rally on February 2.Hide Caption15 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisMaduro supporters gather in Caracas on February 2.Hide Caption16 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisOpposition demonstrators protest against Maduro’s government on Wednesday, January 30.Hide Caption17 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisIn this handout photo released by the Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Maduro flashes a “V for victory” hand gesture after arriving at the Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas on January 30. Maduro has begun a second term after a 2018 vote that his political opposition and many in the international community denounced as a sham.Hide Caption18 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisMembers of the National Police line up to guard the entrance of Venezuela’s Central University in Caracas during an anti-government protest on January 30.Hide Caption19 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido speaks to reporters in Caracas on January 30. The United States and more than a dozen other countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate ruler.Hide Caption20 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA Maduro mural is seen in the Petare slum of Caracas on Tuesday, January 29.Hide Caption21 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisGuaido listens to deputy Rafael Veloz during a session at the National Assembly in Caracas on January 29. The Assembly met to debate a legal framework for creating a transitional government and calling new elections. Simultaneously, Venezuela’s attorney general asked the Supreme Court to freeze Guaido’s assets and bar him from leaving the country.Hide Caption22 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisA view of the National Assembly building in Caracas on January 29.Hide Caption23 of 47
Photos: In photos: Venezuela in crisisThe president of Venezuela’s Supreme Court, Maikel Moreno, speaks at a news conference in Caracas on January 29.Hide Caption24 of 47
Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said on Twitter that the Maduro regime had “overplayed its hand” through its actions Saturday, making it easier for the international community to isolate it and harder for regime allies to continue supporting it.”Today #MaduroRegime killed unarmed citizens of their own country to keep food & medicine from entering. They celebrated murder & burning of trucks carrying aid as a victory. The world & those inside #Venezuela will reflect on what happened today & it will give rise to action,” he tweetedSenator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders tweeted: “The people of Venezuela are enduring a serious humanitarian crisis.”
Maduro cuts relations with Bogota
Maduro declared Venezuela’s borders with Brazil and Colombia closed, citing threats to security and sovereignty.
Venezuela closes border with BrazilOn Saturday he told supporters he was breaking all diplomatic relations with Colombia and calling for its ambassadors and consuls to leave Venezuela.Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said all the diplomats were ordered to leave immediately for their safety. Four Colombian consuls have returned from Venezuela, Colombian immigration officials said Sunday.Maduro also threatened the United States: “If the empire dares to attack, they will be received by the strength of the Venezuelan armed forces.”Maduro challenged Guaido on Saturday to call for new elections, but on Sunday Guaido’s spokesman, Edward Rodriguez, told CNN they’re not going to do that because “we set the agenda.”Guaido has always said that he will call elections 30 days after “the usurper had left power” — and that hasn’t happened yet, Rodriguez said.