In Cúcuta - on the border between Colombia and Venezuela, every day people cross the bridge that separates the two countries - with bags or backpacks full of food. Merchants advertise offers, border police urge them: every day the political crisis in this place escalates.
Catherine Guerrero lives in Venezuela, ARD tells in a report from the border region. In the town of Capacho, she runs a shop selling balloons and other decorations. Every day she crosses the border and goes shopping in Colombia, where it is much cheaper. "For us Venezuelans, the situation is very complicated", the woman explains.
Inflation eats away at people's incomes
Unlike the situation a few years ago, today in Venezuela food and medicine are easy to find everywhere. However, the problem is different - their prices are prohibitively high. People barely manage to make ends meet with their monthly salaries.
In many cases, civil servants such as teachers and doctors work in another place, ARD writes. Most people do not have much time to follow political events, explains Katerine. However, the threats of US President Donald Trump scare the woman. "I watch a lot of news and I know what military intervention in another country means. The US has carried out military interventions before and always claims to be saving a country. However, their help comes with war, weapons, soldiers", says Katerine. She worries that this will lead to even more shortages, famine and even death in her country.
Huge pressure on Maduro
For many Caribbean countries, the renewed US strategy to deter Russian and Chinese influence in this region is creating tension. Washington is interfering in the domestic political processes in Colombia, Honduras, Mexico.
Trump hopes that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro will give in to the pressure he is putting on him. Until then, the US military will continue to corner him, suggests Venezuelan political scientist Manuel Sutherland. "This will continue until they do on land what they are doing at sea with the attacks on boats. For example, attack key targets - destroy Venezuelan air defenses. In my opinion, Maduro will have to flee the country in such a case, along with the other people in power - if they consider their lives to be in danger," the expert told ARD.
What do the people on the border want
However, Maduro remains calm - no one knows whether Trump will still proceed with an attack on Venezuela. According to political scientist Sutherland, the Venezuelan dictator probably believes that a miracle will happen. Venezuelans on the border with Colombia are also hoping for something like that. "What do I miss in Venezuela? Human rights. They are not respected here," a man from the border region told ARD. "We want change, finally. We are such a rich country - it is not right that we cannot find work and cannot survive on our salaries.
Another woman crossing the border hopes that there will finally be peace and prosperity in her country. "Everything should be like it was before, when we had work. And most of all - peace and tranquility," she says.
Maduro has far from serious support
According to analysts, only 20 percent of the Venezuelan population supports Maduro and his regime. At the same time, very few people support US intervention. Many hope that Maduro will be overthrown without external interference.
However, Venezuela's authoritarian president is unlikely to give up power. He did not accept the US offer to leave the country and has only strengthened his power since last year's elections, when he declared himself the winner, while international organizations declared the elections fraudulent.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been in hiding since the elections - no one knows where in Venezuela she lives. She was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which until recently it was uncertain whether she would be able to receive in person at the ceremony in Oslo. Now the attorney general of Venezuela has said that if Machado leaves the country, she will be considered a fugitive from justice. It is now clear - she will not be able to receive her award in person, and her location remains a secret.
Author: Jenny Barke (ARD)