Thread by @ThomasVLinge

It is D-day in #Venezuela 🇻🇪. Thousands of Venezuelan volunteers will try to get humanitarian aid across the border as #Maduro has closed all border crossings with 🇨🇴🇧🇷🇳🇱-🇨🇼.

Protesters at the Simon Bolivar bridge near #Cúcuta are trying to cross over from the Colombian side.

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: At least 3 National Guards soldiers have already defected from the #Maduro regime this morning, heading into #Colombia

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: National Guard blocking the border with #Brazil in Gran Sabana (#Bolivar state). The mayor of municipality calls on the soldiers to open the border and let the humanitarian aid come in.

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: #GNB (National Guard) soldiers fired tear gas at protesters in the border town of Urena (#Tachira state), just several hundred meters away from the border with #Colombia

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: video of the moment the #GNB soldiers defected to the opposition, holding up their guns as a sign of surrender.

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: a National Guard sergeant has defected to the opposition as well, holding back his tears as the people cheer him on while he walks into #Colombia.

He is the 4th #GNB soldier to switch sides so far.

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: main standoff on the Venezuelan side of the border is happening in Ureña where protesters and #GNB are clashing just 900m from the Simon Bolivar border bridge. #23Feb

Live stream of the clashes:

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: large crowd of peaceful protesters have reached the #GNB blockade in #Ureña, hoping to push through to the border

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: statement by the 4 soldiers who defected from the #Maduro regime this morning. They state they recognize @jguaido as legitimate leader of the country. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: anti-#Maduro protesters in the town of #LosTeques. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: thousands answered to call to protest against #Maduro in the city of #Barquisimeto (#Lara state). #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: protesters in the capital #Caracas showing their support to @jguaido and the entry of humanitarian aid. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: protesters and volunteers on the Simon Bolivar bridge trying to reason with Venezuelan soldiers blocking the border crossing. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: protesters marching in the state of #Aragua. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: thousands marching in the coastal state of #Vargas for the entry of humanitarian aid. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: livestream of the situation in #Cucuta on the Venezuelan border where the opposition will try to get humanitarian aid across any moment now. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: A massive crowd is gathering at the perimeter of La Carlota airbase in #Caracas, trying to persuade the armed forces to switch sides. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: thousands of Venezuelans out in the streets of #Maracaibo (#Zulia state). #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: soldiers in #Barcelona (#Anzoategui) are leaving their base to join the protesters standing outside. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: Several Venezuelan soldiers in La Fria (#Tachira state), 12 km from the Colombian border, have joined the protesters with their vehicles. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: National Guard soldiers in #Barcelona (#Anzoategui state) are being hugged and cheered on by protesters as they refuse to repress the massive anti-#Maduro march in the city. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: two female soldiers have defected to the opposition as well, crying in relieve as they're being escorted into #Colombia. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: thousands at the fence of La Carlota airbase in #Caracas, pressuring the military to abandon #Maduro. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: @jguaido meets with Venezuelan soldiers who defected from the #Maduro regime earlier today. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪. a retired colonel from the Venezuelan armed forces has come to the border bridge near #Cucuta to call on his fellow soldiers to defect from the #Maduro regime. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: this is what happens to Venezuelan protesters who call for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the country. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: trucks carrying hard needed humanitarian aid are now on fire on hr Venezuelan border with #Colombia.

#Maduro regime is still preventing any aid from entering. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: mass rally in #Maracay (#Aragua) in support of the opposition and the entry of humanitarian aid. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: desperate Venezuelans clash with the #GNB on the Santander border bridge as they try to get the humanitarian aid across into #Vzla. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: trucks carrying hard-needed humanitarian aid are burning on the border with #Colombia, reportedly after #GNB forces fired tear gas canister into the vehicles.

Protesters are trying to save as much supplies as they can. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: regime forces are firing live ammunition in Santa Elena de Uairen on the border with #Brazil 🇧🇷 as the people are trying to get aid into the country.

Acoording to some report 4 people have already been killed in the violence. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: another 3 #GNB soldiers have abandoned the #Maduro regime, being escorted into #Colombia. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: Venezuelan soldiers hug and shake hands with their Colombian counterparts after successfully defecting into #Colombia. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: #GNB forces violently repressed a anti-#Maduro protest in the city of #Barquisimeto, firing tear gas and rubber bullets while trying to take away protesters. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: members of the Veneuzelan armed forces, police and national guard reuniting on the Colombian side of the border after all succesfully defecting from the #Maduro regime. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: two more policemen defecting with all their gear across the border to join the opposition. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: another Venezuelan soldier defects to the opposition, collapsing into the arms of Colombian police as he makes it across the border. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: CCTV footage captures the moment #GNB forces fire tear gas canisters into the trucks trying to carry humanitarian aid across the border. This is what caused the trucks to catch fire. #23Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: traumatized indigenous Venezuelans are fleeing Santa Elena de Uairen as regime forces and the local Pemon community fight over control of the airport and the border crossing with #Brazil 🇧🇷

https://twitter.com/NTN24ve/status/1099725883894624259?s=19

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: violent scenes at #Cucuta border bridges as Venezuelan protesters are trying to break back into their own country, being blocked by #GNB forces. #25Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: fighting also continues in Gran Sabana on the border with #Brazil 🇧🇷.

According to the town's mayor the death toll is already up to 25(!)

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: throughout the day small numbers of Venezuelan soldiers defected across the borders into #Colombia 🇨🇴 and #Brazil 🇧🇷.

The number of soldiers who switched sides is now up to 170. #25Feb

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: more soldiers defected across the border into #Colombia today.

The number is now reported to be over 270

https://twitter.com/soldadoDfranela/status/1100505046456942595?s=19

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: more soldiers continue to defect into #Colombia 🇨🇴 as the total number is now reported to be up 400 (average of 60-70 a day).

Most of these regular soldiers will be replaced by pro-regime #Collectivos who are much more extremist and unpredictable

#Venezuela 🇻🇪: total number of defections is now up to 527 according to Colombian migration officials.

#Maduro's men are abandoning ship fast