Venezuela stages own concerts in response to Branson's Live Aid show

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS FEBRUARY 18, 2019 / 2:35 PM / UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO

Venezuela stages own concerts in response to Branson's Live Aid show

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela’s government will stage two concerts on the Colombian border this weekend to compete with a “Live Aid”-style show announced by British billionaire Richard Branson to raise funds for food and medicine for the South American country.

Increasingly internationally isolated President Nicolas Maduro, who denies there is a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, says Western relief efforts coordinated by the opposition are part of a U.S.-orchestrated coup to overthrow him.

Branson said last week he was organizing a concert on Feb. 22 to raise funds for aid for Venezuela in the Colombian border city of Cucuta, where donations provided by the United States and others are already being stockpiled.

The move has evoked comparisons to Irish rock star Bob Geldof’s global Live Aid concert to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Branson has said he wants to raise $100 million in 60 days.

Venezuelan Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said on Monday that the government was also planning concerts on Feb. 22 and 23, on the Simon Bolivar bridge connecting the country with Cucuta, with the slogan “nothing for war, hands off Venezuela”.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-stages-own-concerts-in-response-to-bransons-live-aid-show-idUSKCN1Q71RT

[GatoGordo]

1. It will be interesting to see who Maduro gets to play his venue

Two days of "high powered entertainment" (llanera, joropo) will include previously unheard of groups from Cuba and Bolivia. And hungry Venezuelan acts who aren't too proud to get a food box as barter. (lets face it, even molding imported Turkish lentils has value, as opposed to the Venezuelan Bolivar Soberano)

And while Sir Branson is pulling in Tier 1 talent across the border playing to an estimated crowd of several hundred thousand, Maduro will flood Ureña (across from Cucuta) with his fake Cuban doctors, newly minted Venezuelan "medicos" and food boxes. Ignoring the irony that Venezuelans needing government rations (CLAP) at all to eat isn't an indictment?

The rest of Venezuela will get to see Maduro's show on all channels, while Sir Branson's concert will be blocked from all media. Hopefully less political ranting and bluster from the Chavistas and more llanera and joropo...