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Venezuela Raids Food Charity, Interrupting Meals for Children
Source: New York Times
Venezuela Raids Food Charity, Interrupting Meals for Children
The charity, Feed the Solidarity, often provides the only meals children receive each day. The government accuses it of subversion, with no evidence.
By Anatoly Kurmanaev
Nov. 26, 2020
Updated 3:52 p.m. ET
CARACAS, Venezuela — Government agents have raided the offices and frozen the bank accounts of a major Venezuelan food charity, threatening a lifeline for thousands of children during one of the world’s deepest humanitarian crises.
The raids, which began last week, are the government’s latest attack on perceived opponents as President Nicolás Maduro steadily consolidates power. After crushing opposition parties, his campaign of repression is increasingly targeting independent civil organizations trying to alleviate the crisis.
The government has accused the food charity, Feed the Solidarity, of channeling foreign donations for political subversion, without providing evidence. The charity and its allies called the accusations and raids a callous political ploy that threatens the lives of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
“The effect of this will be brutal,” said Susana Raffalli, a prominent Venezuelan nutritionist and aid activist. “Every social worker will now have fear to continue working.”
-snip-
Feed the Solidarity runs dozens of soup kitchens in working-class areas around the country, serving 25,000 children, according to its founder, Roberto Patiño. The charity’s lunch often provides the children’s only daily meal, according to New York Times interviews with dozens of beneficiaries over the past two years.
-snip-
The charity, Feed the Solidarity, often provides the only meals children receive each day. The government accuses it of subversion, with no evidence.
By Anatoly Kurmanaev
Nov. 26, 2020
Updated 3:52 p.m. ET
CARACAS, Venezuela — Government agents have raided the offices and frozen the bank accounts of a major Venezuelan food charity, threatening a lifeline for thousands of children during one of the world’s deepest humanitarian crises.
The raids, which began last week, are the government’s latest attack on perceived opponents as President Nicolás Maduro steadily consolidates power. After crushing opposition parties, his campaign of repression is increasingly targeting independent civil organizations trying to alleviate the crisis.
The government has accused the food charity, Feed the Solidarity, of channeling foreign donations for political subversion, without providing evidence. The charity and its allies called the accusations and raids a callous political ploy that threatens the lives of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
“The effect of this will be brutal,” said Susana Raffalli, a prominent Venezuelan nutritionist and aid activist. “Every social worker will now have fear to continue working.”
-snip-
Feed the Solidarity runs dozens of soup kitchens in working-class areas around the country, serving 25,000 children, according to its founder, Roberto Patiño. The charity’s lunch often provides the children’s only daily meal, according to New York Times interviews with dozens of beneficiaries over the past two years.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/26/world/asia/venezuela-charity-raid.html
