Guaido says met with city mayors to discuss humanitarian assistance to Venezuela

Venezuelan opposition parliament speaker Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself the country's interim president, held a meeting with a number of mayors of Venezuelan cities on Tuesday and discussed issues related to accepting foreign humanitarian aid for the population.

"Today, I met with mayors in order to plan the humanitarian assistance that should be distributed to country's municipalities that are in a critical situation. We make every effort and work without rest to secure the allocation of humanitarian aid successfully and with guaranteed results," Guaido said on Twitter.

Guaido also published photos of this meeting, which featured six mayors, however, it is unclear, which cities they represent and whether they have recognized the politician as the interim president.

Earlier this week, the press office for Carlos Vecchio, Guaido's envoy to the United States, said that the Venezuelan opposition will hold an international conference in Washington on February 14 to seek emergency humanitarian assistance. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday dismissed the US promise to send aid to the crisis-hit South American country as a "political stunt" and a pretext for invasion. Maduro promised to avoid the scenario of any kind of foreign intervention.

On Saturday, Guaido said that three facilities for collecting foreign humanitarian aid for Venezuela would be created: one in Cucuta, one more in Brazil, and another one on an island in the Caribbean Sea.

A political crisis erupted in Venezuela Guaido proclaimed himself interim president in late January contesting Maduro's re-election last year. The opposition leader was recognized by the United States and several other countries. Russia and China, as well as several other nations, have refused to support Guaido, backing Maduro as the country's legitimate president and demanding respect for the principle of non-interference in Venezuela's internal affairs.