Thread by @ACLatAm

STARTING NOW: Join @ACLatAm, @JuntosEsMejorVE, @USAID & @the_IDB for a discussion of what more the global community can do to support #Venezuelans one year since @jguaido took the oath to become #Venezuela interim President. Watch the livestream here: atlanticcouncil.org/event/one-year…

@JuntosEsMejorVE @USAID @the_IDB @jguaido @AtlanticCouncil @jmarczak @AmbassadorGreen @JohnBarsa @iariashofman One year ago today, @jguaido took the presidential oath and today is recognized as the legitimate interim Pres. of #Venezuela by nearly 60 countries. Today is also important moment to show our support for the democratic will of the #Guaidó interim govt., @jmarczak. #TogetherVE

@JuntosEsMejorVE @USAID @the_IDB @jguaido @AtlanticCouncil @jmarczak @AmbassadorGreen @JohnBarsa @iariashofman The situation in #Venezuela is dire, and millions of people are suffering the adverse effects of the #Maduro regime. So much so that when @ACLatAm in a recent poll asked Venezuelans if they would leave their country if they could, about 1/3 said yes, notes @jmarczak #TogetherVE.

@JuntosEsMejorVE @USAID @the_IDB @jguaido @AtlanticCouncil @jmarczak @AmbassadorGreen @JohnBarsa @iariashofman A mere 12 years ago, @jguaido was an ordinary university student who felt the call to public service, says @AmbassadorGreen in a pre-recorded message ahead of today's event. #TogetherVE.

And one year ago today, when #Maduro attempted to steal yet another election, @AsambleaVE rightfully appointed @jguaido interim President of #Venezuela, @AmbassadorGreen adds. And ever since, the #Guaidó has demonstrated unwavering leadership and courage... #TogetherVE

... and has served as a beacon of liberty and freedom for those who have suffered so much under the #Maduro regime in his ongoing fight against injustice and tyranny - a fight for #Venezuela's democracy, says @AmbassadorGreen #TogetherVE.

Since that historic day, the United States & @USAID have stood in solidarity with the interim government in support of a free, prosperous and democratic #Venezuela, notes @AmbassadorGreen. #TogetherVE

Together w/@StateDept, @USAID has provided more than $654m in assistance to people inside #Venezuela and across the region. The US has delivered more than 1.4m meals, and provided enough medical supplies for 160k people, among other initiatives, says @AmbassadorGreen #TogetherVE

But even as @USAID continues and expands this support, we're looking to the future. "In 2019, I signed the first bilateral assistance agreement between @USAID and #Venezuela in decades," says @AmbassadorGreen. #TogetherVE

This agreement allows us to assist @AsambleaVE & other entities keeping the flame of #democracy alive in #Venezuela and provide people with hope for a brighter future, says @AmbassadorGreen. #TogetherVE

Recently, @USAID & @the_IDB launched the #BetterTogether Challenge to crowdsource and fund innovative solutions to some of the challenges that #Venezuelans face as they fight to regain control of their country, remarks @AmbassadorGreen. #TogetherVE

"Of course the only real solution to #Venezuela's plight will come when #Maduro's tyranny and corruption are a thing of the past," says @AmbassadorGreen. #TogetherVE

"So today I'd like to deliver a special message to all #Venezuelans: We recognize the bravery and courage of @jguaido, @AsambleaVE and all those fighting for democracy in #Venezuela. The US & @USAID are unwavering in our commitment to you and your cause," adds @AmbassadorGreen.

"Because we support your vision para una #Venezuela libre. ¡Estamos con ustedes! For a free and prosperous #Venezuela," concludes @AmbassadorGreen of @USAID. #TogetherVE.

@AmbassadorGreen @USAID At @USAID we are very proud of our efforts supporting the #Venezuela people at all levels, says @JohnBarsa. The crisis being faced by #Venezuelans - it's worth repeating - is one of the largest displacements of people in Western Hemisphere history. #TogetherVE

@AmbassadorGreen @USAID @JohnBarsa @USAID and other foreign donors in #Venezuela, we have been able to get this aid in at the scale that's necessary. But think back. It hasn't been quite a year yet, but when we tried to bring the aid through #Cúcuta, it was blocked by armed military, says @JohnBarsa. #TogetherVE

"What kind of country would find an existential threat in trying to get humanitarian aid into the country," asks @JohnBarsa. #TogetherVE

Thanks to @jguaido and @AsambleaVE, "we were able to get the first bilateral agreement between the United States and the legitimate interim government of #Venezuela," says @JohnBarsa #TogetherVE

@jguaido @AsambleaVE @JohnBarsa It's difficult to imagine the adversity @jguaido and @AsambleaVE face in their fight for #Venezuela's democracy, notes @JohnBarsa, and we at @USAID are honored to be playing this role in supporting this fight. #TogetherVE

@jguaido @AsambleaVE @JohnBarsa @USAID This initiative @JuntosEsMejorVE - BetterTogether - is one of the solutions that we want to leverage as part of a broader effort of @the_IDB to support #Venezuelans for a brighter future and the ongoing fight to save #Venezuela's democracy, says @iariashofman #TogetherVE

@jguaido @AsambleaVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @JuntosEsMejorVE @the_IDB @iariashofman Our role within @the_IDB is precisely to tap into the creativity, the innovation, the entrepreneurial capacity that's out there to develop solutions, fund and scale them to support #Venezuelans in the country and throughout the region, notes @iariashofman #TogetherVE

@jguaido @AsambleaVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @JuntosEsMejorVE @the_IDB @iariashofman The #Venezuela crisis is so complex, - @USAID is humble enough to know that we don't have all the answers. So what @USAID & @the_IDB have done together is thrown open the door to solutions from anywhere to respond to any aspect of the crisis, says @JohnBarsa #TogetherVE

@jguaido @AsambleaVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @JuntosEsMejorVE @the_IDB @iariashofman Indeed, this is collaboration at its best. The response has been overwhelming. In just a few weeks we've received over a 1,000 proposals for solutions to mitigate the #Venezuela crisis and support the diaspora throughout the region, says @iariashofman. #TogetherVE

@jguaido @AsambleaVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @JuntosEsMejorVE @the_IDB @iariashofman One year ago we were here at @ACLatAm talking about the 4.3m #Venezuelans needing assistance outside the country, now we are more than 5m, notes @Miguel_Pizarro. #TogetherVE

@jguaido @AsambleaVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @JuntosEsMejorVE @the_IDB @iariashofman @Miguel_Pizarro More still, we have more than 9 million people in need of assistance in #Venezuela. It's more important than ever to emphasize that this is a man-made crisis of epic proportions, reminds @Miguel_Pizarro. #TogetherVE

@jguaido @AsambleaVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @JuntosEsMejorVE @the_IDB @iariashofman @Miguel_Pizarro We have to push the international community to understand that these two parallel tracks - the political track and the humanitarian track - are really one and the same, urges @Miguel_Pizarro. #TogetherVE.

It's easy for the global community to look only at the consequences of the humanitarian crisis and overlook the real costs, the actual political costs. As a result, we may go through this cycle for the next 10 years without a real solution notes @Miguel_Pizarro #TogetherVE

@Miguel_Pizarro Indeed, this is a short term problem that has long-term consequences that will impact generations to come, remarks @jmarczak. #TogetherVE

@Miguel_Pizarro @jmarczak @JuntosEsMejorVE is an open platform, says @iariashofman. It is going to be running for the next two years. Since we launched, we've received over 1,000 applications from around the world, but mostly from inside #Venezuela. #TogetherVE

@Miguel_Pizarro @jmarczak @JuntosEsMejorVE @iariashofman One of the main objectives is to connect applicants with the broader network of experts, relevant institutions and funding opportunities to deploy responsive strategies for #Venezuela and #Venezuelans throughout #LatinAmerica and the wider world, says @iariashofman #TogetherVE

@Miguel_Pizarro @jmarczak @JuntosEsMejorVE @iariashofman One of the things we're trying to inform people of is that "we've done this before. We have the background, we've run challenges like this before," says @JohnBarsa #TogetherVE.

@Miguel_Pizarro @jmarczak @JuntosEsMejorVE @iariashofman @JohnBarsa This applies to suggested products, processes or programs. For example, from a previous challenge, we sourced an innovative solution to combat the spread of the Zika virus in #LatinAmerica. We funded it, we fielded it and we successfully combated Zika, says @JohnBarsa #TogetherVE

@Miguel_Pizarro @jmarczak @JuntosEsMejorVE @iariashofman @JohnBarsa @JuntosEsMejorVE is neither descriptive, nor restrictive. The size and scope of the #Venezuela crisis means there's an incredible variety of hardships and challenges faced in the country and the region as a result of this man-made phenomenon, says @JohnBarsa #TogetherVE.

@JuntosEsMejorVE is open to any and every solution that can help to alleviate human suffering in #Venezuela and affected communities in #LatinAmerica and beyond, reminds @JohnBarsa. #TogetherVE

@JuntosEsMejorVE @JohnBarsa But, regrettably, the solutions sourced, funded and implemented by @USAID & @the_IDB thru @JuntosEsMejorVE can only help to alleviate the "symptoms" of this crisis. That will remain the case as long as #Maduro stays in power, laments @JohnBarsa #TogetherVE

@JuntosEsMejorVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @the_IDB But what we also hope to accomplish thru @JuntosEsMejorVE is to provide some level of relief to #Venezuelans living outside their country, and improve their relationships with the host communities in which they currently live, says @iariashofman #TogetherVE.

@JuntosEsMejorVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @the_IDB @iariashofman It's also important to note that many of the solutions sourced, funded and deployed through @JuntosEsMejorVE can have longer term benefits for the region - benefits that address issues that extend beyond the course of the current #Venezuela crisis, says @iariashofman #TogetherVE.

@JuntosEsMejorVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @the_IDB @iariashofman No one in Washington DC can truly know what it's like on the ground in #Venezuela, so "the thematic rubric with which we're approaching this is that the best solutions are those that are created closest to the problem," observes @JohnBarsa. #TogetherVE

@JuntosEsMejorVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @the_IDB @iariashofman But the biggest challenge here is how to scale up assistance in this context - in a country with an authoritarian regime, where there are paramilitary groups, irregular groups and enormous disparities between urban and rural areas, says @Miguel_Pizarro #TogetherVE

@JuntosEsMejorVE @JohnBarsa @USAID @the_IDB @iariashofman @Miguel_Pizarro In a country where, in the capital, people go as long as six months without water, people who go through the worst experiences to find food. All this is happening in #Venezuela, my country, while a guy [#Maduro] goes on trying to live like a king, says @Miguel_Pizarro #TogetherVE