Venezuela Aid Live is a concert set to take place on February 22nd, 2019 in the Colombian city of Cúcuta. The purpose of this concert is to bring international attention to the lack of food, medical attention, and overall wellbeing that the people of Venezuela have been suffering for the past several years. Alejandro Sanz, Miguel Bosé, Maluma, Lele Pons, Juanes, Carlos Vives, and many other music icons are will be performing.

Take a look at the video below to learn more about the situation and discover some of the arists who will be performing.</s>This story was originally published in Spanish by Rolling Stone Colombia‘s editors. Read the original Spanish version here.

Update 2/23/18: The moment of music had long passed, and now it was nearing 7 a.m. on Saturday and the Colombian authorities were preparing to pass humanitarian aid to Venezuela. The night before, however, Delcy Rodríguez, vice president of Venezuela, announwced the closure of the Simón Bolívar, Unión and Santander bridges for “the serious and illegal threats attempted by the Government of Colombia against La Paz.”

By 8 a.m., members of the Bolivarian National Guard had already deserted, but Venezuelan soldiers, who prevented their passage to their country, guarded the same border. In Ureña, one of the municipalities closest to the Colombian-Venezuelan border, there were protests and clashes between citizens — who demanded the passage of humanitarian aid — and the military that was preventing it.

Colombia’s president, Iván Duque, handed aid over to Juan Guaidó, Venezuela’s opposition leader, at a press conference, and Guaidó said: “We ask the Venezuelan military to stand on the right side and receive their brothers who are taking help to serve the people of Venezuela.” The tractors that loaded all the supplies arrived at the Simón Bolívar bridge, where hundreds of volunteers were preparing to pass humanitarian aid through a human chain.

During a demonstration in Caracas, Nicolás Maduro announced that he was breaking political and diplomatic relations with Colombia, giving all diplomatic personnel 24 hours to leave Venezuela. As the hours wore on, there were reports that at least 23 members of the Venezuelan military and police defected at the borders. Convoys of trucks carrying food aid and medical supplies set off for Venezuela from border towns in Colombia and Brazil. Volunteers, protestors and opposition leaders were met with teargas and rubber bullets, and at least three aid trucks near the Colombian border were burned.

CÚCUTA, COLOMBIA 2/22/18 — Friday’s Venezuela Aid Live, according to its website (where people can still donate), sought to bring humanitarian aid that’s in Colombia across the border to reach the most-affected Venezuelans, raise awareness of the situation in Venezuela and raise funds for a social development plan with which expatriates could return to their country.

Reymar Perdomo opened the concert with “Me Fui,” a song that has become a hymn for Venezuelan expatriates with a video that went viral in Latin America. Perdomo is Venezuelan and has been living in Lima, Peru, playing and singing in buses.

After the performance, Richard Branson, founder of Virgin and organizer of the festival, gave a speech in which he thanked the attendees for being in Cúcuta to celebrate the lives of all Venezuelans. “If we can take people into space, why is it so difficult to get people out of poverty?” he said. People chanted: “Richard, Richard, Richard!” To speed up the change of artists on the stage, there was a revolving platform: As the musicians were playing on one side, the instruments of the next were mounted.

Jose Luis Rodriguez, “El Puma,” came out and started with a very clear message. “Thanks to dear Colombia and the United States,” he said, adding, “Enough of left-wing dictatorships in Latin America!” Already the political game was installed from the beginning. He sang “Agárrense las manos/Hold Your Hands” with an instrumental track and no band.

Reinaldo Armas, Cholo Valderrama and Jorge Glem arrived to dance at the tip of llanera music. Then came Jencarlos Canela with his success “Bajito,” while improvising phrases that invited people to donate, and Danny Ocean, wearing a T-shirt that depicted Mandela eating arepa, started dancing with “Dembow” and “Me rehúso/I refuse.”

Later in the afternoon, the most anticipated names came out. Paulina Rubio brought her pop and Diego Torres sang, as would be expected, “Color Esperanza/Color of Hope.” Silvestre Dangond started the party again and Maluma, accompanied only on guitar, followed in the midst of shouts from fans.

Miguel Bosé, who was at the border 11 years ago for the Concert for Peace that Juanes organized, filled the Tienditas Bridge with emotion and tears. Then, Carlos Baute landed with “Te regalo” and, obviously, “Yo me quedo en Venezuela (I Stay in Venezuela).” Luis Fonsi finished with “Despacito” and then Juan Luis Guerra showed all his experience with “I hope it rains coffee.” Fonseca sang “Te Mando Flores/I Sent You Flowers” and gave way to Carlos Vives.

While there was a party on one side — with attendees singing on the border between Venezuela and Brazil at the Tienditas Bridge — in the state of Bolívar, two indigenous people died at the hands of the Bolivarian National Guard, according to the NGO Kapé Kapé. According Semana magazine, they were trying to keep a road open to allow the entry of humanitarian aid when special forces broke in. In addition to the two deceased, there were also 15 injured.

After 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the Venezuelan concert finally began. Composed mainly of Venezuelan artists related to the government of Maduro — such as Paul Gillman, who sang “Resistiré,” while waving the flag of his country, and Skaracas — it was also known that Grupo Niche refused to play in the “Hands Off Venezuela” concert.

Looking primarily at the music presentations, Venezuela Aid Live left much to be desired due to technical problems, instrument issues, the many instrumental tracks used and the crowd area being far from the stage. Sure, people enjoyed it, and the real goal was beyond the shows. If Branson wanted to put the eyes of the world on the border, he succeeded.

The news agencies were reporting live from Cúcuta, with journalists from all over Latin America in attendance, along with the United States, Canada, Portugal and Spain and other countries. The speeches by several of the artists against Maduro sent a clear message that would surely annoy Roger Waters. Tomorrow it will be seen if humanitarian aid finally crosses the border.</s>CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) — Three members of the Venezuelan National Guard defected Saturday at Venezuela’s border with Colombia, the Colombian immigration department said.

The troops abandoned their posts at the Simon Bolivar International Bridge on the Colombia-Venezuela border and requested help from Colombia’s immigration officials.

Also Saturday, soldiers with Venezuela’s National Guard fired tear gas at workers who were demanding to cross the border at Ureña into Colombia to work, according to a CNN crew that witnessed the scene at the Tienditas Bridge.

The workers faced off with the soldiers, chanting, “we want to work!” before being dispersed by the tear gas. Men with shirts covering their faces started throwing rocks toward the guard.

These tense scenes played out Saturday, a day after violence broke out at a Venezuelan town near the border with Brazil over aid delivery, leaving two people dead and 17 others injured, local authorities said.

Tensions are running high at Venezuela’s borders amid opposition plans to usher aid into the country this weekend in defiance of President Nicolas Maduro’s wishes. Maduro called on Venezuelans to “mobilize” Saturday. “Let’s all take to the streets to defend our independence with conscience and joy,” Maduro said on his official Twitter account. US argues momentum for change in Venezuela is growing despite border violence On Friday, a standoff occurred between a local indigenous community and the military over aid delivery near Gran Sabana, on the Brazil-Venezuela border, said the town’s mayor, Emilio Gonzalez. He told CNN the military opened fire on an indigenous group trying to facilitate the passage of aid into Venezuela. Gonzalez said soldiers shot and killed a 34-year-old indigenous Venezuelan woman and injured 17 others. National Assembly member Americo De Grazia said on his official Twitter feed that two people had died. The second victim was an indigenous man, according to De Grazia. Gonzalez said indigenous guards detained 27 Venezuelan military members. Venezuela’s Ministry of Defense told CNN it had no information on the incident.</s>Heightened tensions in Venezuela left one woman dead and a dozen injured near the border with Brazil on Friday, marking the first deadly clash related to the opposition’s plan to deliver humanitarian aid that President Nicolas Maduro has vowed not to accept.

Emilio Gonzalez, mayor of the Venezuela border town of Gran Sabana, identified the woman killed by a gunshot as Zoraida Rodriguez, a member of an indigenous community.

He said members of the Pemon ethnic group clashed with the Venezuela National Guard and army, who were moving tanks to the border with Brazil a day after Maduro ordered the crossing closed.

The violence came just hours before duelling concerts were expected to begin on the country’s western border with Colombia, where tons of donated food and medicine are stored.

British billionaire Richard Branson is sponsoring a Live Aid-style concert featuring dozens of musicians including Latin rock star Juanes on one side of a crossing that Colombian officials have renamed the “Unity Bridge,” while Maduro’s socialist government is promising a three-day festival deemed “Hands Off Venezuela” on the other.

Several thousand people – many wearing white and carrying Venezuelan flags – were already gathered in a large field, as several uniformed officers on horses and foot stood guard near the border.

As Venezuela’s political turmoil drags on, allies of Juan Guaido, who is being recognized by over 50 nations as the country’s rightful president, are hoping the massive concert and aid push mark a turning point from which a transitional government is consolidated. But Maduro has shown no signs of backing down, and analysts warn that whatever happens over the next two days may not yield a conclusive victory for either side.

“I think one of the government’s aims is to confuse the whole thing, possibly to create some kind of chaos that makes the opposition look bad,” Phil Gunson, a senior analyst with the Crisis Group based in Caracas, said of Maduro’s rival concert. “It’s a propaganda war.”

There was no immediate information on the condition of those injured in the clash along the Brazil and Venezuelan border, but Gonzalez said they were taken for medical treatment after soldiers fired rubber bullets and tear gas.

The plan to bring in aid is one of the most ambitious – and potentially dangerous – that the opposition has attempted to undertake since Guaido declared himself interim president in January.

The standoff also prompted Branson to back the concert, who Colombian entrepreneur Bruno Ocampo said is so committed to getting humanitarian aid into Venezuela that he will personally stay until Saturday to help ensure that food and medical supplies make it across the border.

Similar to the original 1985 Live Aid concert, which raised funds to relieve the Ethiopian famine, Branson has set a goal to raise $100 million within 60 days.

“We didn’t know what we were getting into at the time,” Ocampo said Thursday. “But in less than 24 hours we are going to witness something historic.”

Friday’s concert won’t be the first time artists have used music to try and simmer tensions at the restive Colombia-Venezuela border. A concert known as Paz Sin Fronteras – Peace Without Borders – was held in 2008 after a diplomatic flare-up that drew Venezuelan troops to the Colombia border. That event was held on the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, which 33,000 people now use to enter Colombia each day.

“Throughout history, art has had a big role in fostering change,” said Miguel Mendoza, a Venezuelan musician who will be performing Friday and won a Latin Grammy in 2010 as part of the pop duo Chino & Nacho. “Music, above all, has a magnificent power.”

Six hundred tons of aid, largely donated by the U.S., has been sitting in a storage facility at what is widely known as the Tienditas International Bridge for two weeks. Even as several million Venezuelans flee and those who remain struggle to find basic goods like food and antibiotics, Maduro denies that a crisis exists. He contends the aid is a ploy by the Trump administration to overthrow his government. The military has placed a large tanker and two containers in the middle of the bridge to block it.

“Trump should worry about the poor in his own country,” Maduro said this week.

Days after Branson launched his concert, Maduro’s government announced that not only would they hold a rival festival but that they would also deliver over 20,000 boxes of food for poor Colombians in Cucuta on Friday and Saturday.

The sharp rhetoric from both sides has put many in this border city of 700,000 on edge.

Paola Quintero, an activist for Venezuelan migrants, said that while the concert has had a positive, short-term impact on Cucuta’s economy, many are worried about what might happen Saturday when thousands try to move aid across the border.

“What awaits those who will be on the bridge, trying to get aid through?” she said.

Venezuelans like Rosa Mora, 40, said they were still debating whether to heed the opposition’s call for a mass mobilization at three bridges in the Cucuta area Saturday, fearful that they might be met with resistance by the military.

“I’m terrified of what’s going to happen,” she confided.

Still, when she thinks about her children and a sister with diabetes that has gone untreated for the last year, she leans toward participating.

“It won’t be for me,” she said. “But for our children.”

On Thursday afternoon, organizers on the Colombia side of the border bridge were doing sound checks while in Venezuela a dozen workers sat idly in white plastic chairs chatting and listening to Venezuelan folk music on small speakers.

Riding by the bridge on his bike, college student Frander Duenas said he hoped to sneak into Colombia to see Branson’s Venezuela Aid Live because he’s a fan of the musicians performing. The government’s festival didn’t entice him in the least.

“This concert is for old people,” he said. “No one is going to come here.”</s>Thousands Gather Along The Border In Standoff Between Colombia And Venezuela

Thousands are gathered in a Colombian border town for a star-studded concert on the eve of a showdown over getting U.S. food aid into neighboring Venezuela.</s>At least four people have been killed and 24 injured amid violent clashes in Venezuela.

Violent scenes saw forces loyal to Nicolás Maduro open fire at the Colombian-Brazilian border after the president ordered them to block humanitarian aid entering the country.

In Santa Elena de Guairen four people were shot dead and 24 injured after irregular pro-government militias known as colectivos opened fire, according to Foro Penal, a legal non-profit group that tracks violence in Venezuela.

The group’s director, Alfredo Romero said: “We’ve been told colectivos shot at people at the border and the situation is grave."

Shocking security footage taken at the Venezula-Colombia border shows chaos at Francisco de Paula Santander bridge as people scrambled to grab supplies from a truck while Venezuelan riot police shot tear gas at them.

Demonstrators clashed with Venezuela's security forces at the bridge, near the town of Urena, Venezuela, which was one of three across which Guaido was hoping to pass much-needed food and medicine.

Medics were also treated civilians near the Simón Bolívar for tear gas inhalation and injuries sustained following a stampede that retreated when canisters were fired.

The clashes came after Venezuela's opposition and activists confronted troops stationed along the country's borders to block their plan to bring in food and medicine that authorities are calling a veiled U.S.-backed invasion.

Juan Guaido declared himself interim successor to President Maduro in the face of a crisis that has led millions to flee and left hundreds of thousands hungry.

While the need for basic food and medicines is real - with the country's inflation running at more than 2 million percent per year - the effort is also meant to embarrass military officers who continue to support Maduro's increasingly isolated government.

Maduro said today that his government had broken relations with Colombia and he would expel some Colombian diplomatic staff after Colombia assisted the opposition's efforts to bring humanitarian aid into the country.

He said in a speech: "Patience is exhausted, I can't bare it anymore, we can't keep putting up with Colombian territory being used for attacks against Venezuela.

"For that reason, I have decided to break all political and diplomatic relations with Colombia's fascist government."

He said the ambassador and consular staff would have to leave Venezuela within 24 hours.

Guaido, recognized by most Western nations as the country's legitimate head of state, defied court orders not to leave Venezuela by arriving on Friday in the Colombian border city of Cucuta, where aid from the U.S. and Colombian governments is stockpiled in warehouses.

"Today the obstacles that the dictatorship created will tomorrow be rivers of unity, of peace," Guaido said in a news conference in Cucuta, where he was received by Colombian President Ivan Duque.

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in a tweet late on Friday that Venezuela's government shut the Tachira border that connects it with Cucuta temporarily "due to a series of illegal threats" by Colombia.

A group of frustrated Venezuelans who were seeking to cross into Colombia on Saturday to work morning threw rocks and bottles at National Guard troops, who responded with tear gas.

"We were all going to work, we want to work, the people attempted to force through," said Viviana Meza, 29, who works in a Cucuta restaurant.

"At least four National Guard officers on Saturday at the border disavowed Maduro's government and requested assistance from the Colombian government, Colombia's migration agency said on Saturday.

Maduro blames the country's dire situation on U.S. sanctions that have blocked the country from obtaining financing and have hobbled the OPEC nation's oil industry.

Rodriguez says the aid is poisoned.

"I don't plan to leave my house over the weekend, especially after what happened near Brazil," said Paulina Sanchez, a 68-year-old grandmother who lives just 300 meters (yards) from the Francisco de Paula Santander bridge.

"This could turn into a powder keg."

In a slightly surreal twist Guiado and Maduro held opposing concerts just 300 yards apart on either end of a bridge linking Colombia and Venezuela.

The 'battle of the bands' pits Venezuela Live Aid organised by British billionaire Richard Branson, against Maduro's Hands Off Venezuela festival.

Branson, after being approached by Guaido, is bidding to raise $100million in donations through 'Venezuela Aid Live' on the Colombian side of Tienditas bridge.

On the other side of the crossing, closed off with freight containers, President Nicolas Maduro will hold 'hands off Venezuela' - a three day festival.

Guaido in January invoked articles of the constitution to assume interim presidency and denounced Maduro as a usurper, arguing his 2018 re-election was illegitimate.</s>BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil has 200 tons of food and medicine ready for Venezuela but only one Venezuelan truck has arrived to pick the aid up at the Air Force base in the northern city of Boa Vista, Brazilian presidential spokesman Otavio Rego Barros said on Friday.

Venezuela has closed the border to stop the opposition aid initiative backed by the United States and Brazil. Brazilian Army General Carlos Teixeira, who is running the humanitarian aid operation in Boa Vista, said nothing could be done until Venezuela opens the border again and allows more trucks in.</s>Christine Armario and Luis Andres Henao, The Associated Press 

 



CUCUTA, Colombia -- Venezuela's power struggle is set to become a battle of the bands Friday when musicians demanding President Nicolas Maduro allow in humanitarian aid and those supporting his refusal sing in rival concerts being held at both sides of a border bridge where tons of donated food and medicine are stored.

The dueling concerts will literally set the stage for a showdown between Venezuela's beleaguered government and opposition leaders who are pledging to draw masses of people to the country's western border Saturday to try to usher in aid that Maduro has vowed not to accept into the country.

British billionaire Richard Branson is sponsoring a Live Aid-style concert featuring dozens of musicians including Latin rock star Juanes on one side of the border crossing that Colombian officials have renamed the "Unity Bridge," while Maduro's socialist government is promising a three-day festival deemed "Hands Off Venezuela" on the other.

"The eyes of the world will be on Venezuela," opposition leader David Smolansky said in advance of the concert as he spoke with Venezuelan migrants at a soup kitchen in the border city of Cucuta where the aid is being stored. "We hope that everything that has happened these last few weeks is the beginning of the end."

As Venezuela's political turmoil drags on, allies of Juan Guaido, who is being recognized by over 50 nations as the country's rightful president, are hoping the massive concert and aid push mark a turning point from which a transitional government is consolidated. But Maduro has shown no signs of backing down, and analysts warn that whatever happens over the next two days may not yield a conclusive victory for either side.

"I think one of the government's aims is to confuse the whole thing, possibly to create some kind of chaos that makes the opposition look bad," Phil Gunson, a senior analyst with the Crisis Group based in Caracas, said of Maduro's rival concert. "It's a propaganda war."

Branson agreed to back a concert in early February after being approached by Guaido, Leopoldo Lopez, an opposition leader under house arrest, and others including Colombian entrepreneur Bruno Ocampo, who said the magnate is now so committed to getting humanitarian aid into Venezuela that he will personally stay until Saturday to help ensure that food and medical supplies make it across the border.

Similar to the original 1985 Live Aid concert, which raised funds to relieve the Ethiopian famine, Branson has set a goal to raise $100 million within 60 days.

"We didn't know what we were getting into at the time," Ocampo said Thursday. "But in less than 24 hours we are going to witness something historic."

Friday's concert won't be the first time artists have used music to try and simmer tensions at the restive Colombia-Venezuela border. A concert known as Paz Sin Fronteras -- Peace Without Borders -- was held in 2008 after a diplomatic flare-up that drew Venezuelan troops to the Colombia border. That event was held on the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, which 33,000 people now use to enter Colombia each day.

"Throughout history, art has had a big role in fostering change," said Miguel Mendoza, a Venezuelan musician who will be performing Friday and won a Latin Grammy in 2010 as part of the pop duo Chino & Nacho. "Music, above all, has a magnificent power."

Six hundred tons of aid, largely donated by the U.S., has been sitting in a storage facility at what is widely known as the Tienditas International Bridge for two weeks. Even as several million Venezuelans flee and those who remain struggle to find basic goods like food and antibiotics, Maduro denies that a crisis exists. He contends the aid is a ploy by the Trump administration to overthrow his government. The military has placed a large tanker and two containers in the middle of the bridge to block it.

"Trump should worry about the poor in his own country," Maduro said this week.

Days after Branson launched his concert, Maduro's government announced that not only would they hold a rival festival but that they would also deliver over 20,000 boxes of food for poor Colombians in Cucuta Friday and Saturday.

The sharp rhetoric from both sides has put many in this border city of 700,000 on edge.

Paola Quintero, an activist for Venezuelan migrants, said that while the concert has had a positive, short-term impact on Cucuta's economy, many are worried about what might happen Saturday when thousands try to move aid across the border.

"What awaits those who will be on the bridge, trying to get aid through?" she said.

Venezuelans like Rosa Mora, 40, said they were still debating whether to heed the opposition's call for a mass mobilization at three bridges in the Cucuta area Saturday, fearful that they might be met with resistance by the military.

"I'm terrified of what's going to happen," she confided.

Still, when she thinks about her children and a sister with diabetes that has gone untreated for the last year, she leans toward participating.

"It won't be for me," she said. "But for our children."

On Thursday afternoon, organizers on the Colombia side of the border bridge were doing sound checks while in Venezuela a dozen workers sat idly in white plastic chairs chatting and listening to Venezuelan folk music on small speakers.

Riding by the bridge on his bike, college student Frander Duenas said he hoped to sneak into Colombia to see Branson's Venezuela Aid Live because he's a fan of the musicians performing. The government's festival didn't entice him in the least.

"This concert is for old people," he said. "No one is going to come here."</s>Tensions along the Colombia-Venezuela border over the entry of aid meant to alleviate widespread food and medicine shortages in the socialist country will be accompanied by music on Friday, as rival concerts kick off on both sides of the boundary.

British billionaire Richard Branson is backing 'Venezuela Aid Live' in the Colombian border city of Cucuta, where he and 35 artists hope to raise $100 million for food and medical aid.

Some 250,000 people are expected at the free event, which will features performances by Alejandro Sanz, Maluma, Luis Fonsi and Carlos Vives. Donations will be received online and via direct deposits.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro, who denies any crisis in his country, is planning two shows near Cucuta on the Tienditas and Simon Bolivar border bridges that connect Venezuela and Colombia.

Saying help is not needed, Maduro has refused to allow international aid into Venezuela despite often-empty supermarket shelves, long lines for government-subsidized food and hospitals lacking in basic supplies and medicines.

Political turmoil and economic collapse including hyperinflation have set Venezuela on a downward spiral.

The Tienditas event will take place near a Colombian warehouse storing hundreds of tonnes of international humanitarian aid that the opposition aims to bring into Venezuela on Saturday.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido, recognized as Venezuela's legitimate leader by dozens of countries, left Caracas in a caravan of supporters on Thursday, vowing to ensure personally the aid enters Venezuela.

Guaido, who invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency last month and who denounces Maduro as an usurper, has not provided details on his plans. Some political analysts speculated Venezuelan soldiers may bar the way.

Colombia's migration authority said in a statement on Thursday it will restrict border crossings on Saturday from 5 a.m. until midnight to people participating in the aid handover.

A border showdown could test the military's loyalty to Maduro if troops are ordered to turn aid away, analysts said.

In Cucuta, residents are wary of what may happen, and many say they will stay indoors, away from possible trouble.

'Everyone's on edge about what's going to happen,' said Carolina Guzman, 38, who owns a restaurant. 'The important thing is that the aid gets across and things start to change there so we can get back to normal here too.'

Branson said this week he hopes the concert will encourage Venezuelan soldiers to defy orders from Maduro and let humanitarian aid cross the border.

Opposition figures have suggested forming human chains, while Brazil's government pledged to deliver aid in trucks driven by Venezuelans.

'I don't think the military will let the aid in and there'll be another conflict. I'm so worried because my family is over there,' said 40-year-old Venezuelan school janitor Eduardo Bustillos, who came to Cucuta 20 days ago with his son.

Some aid is also being stored on the Dutch island of Curacao, and a boat carrying 250 tons of help is on route from Puerto Rico.

Maduro said on Thursday he was considering closing the border with Colombia and would close the border with Brazil. He has already shut the maritime border with Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire.

Maduro has called the aid stockpiling a 'provocation' and accuses the Trump administration, which recognizes Guaido but has levied crippling sanctions against the government, of seeking to force his ouster.</s>CUCUTA, Colombia (AP) - Venezuela's power struggle is set to become a battle of the bands Friday when musicians demanding President Nicolas Maduro allow in humanitarian aid and those supporting his refusal sing in rival concerts being held at both sides of a border bridge where tons of donated food and medicine are stored.

The dueling concerts will literally set the stage for a showdown between Venezuela's beleaguered government and opposition leaders who are pledging to draw masses of people to the country's western border Saturday to try to usher in aid that Maduro has vowed not to accept into the country.

British billionaire Richard Branson is sponsoring a Live Aid-style concert featuring dozens of musicians including Latin rock star Juanes on one side of the border crossing that Colombian officials have renamed the "Unity Bridge," while Maduro's socialist government is promising a three-day festival deemed "Hands Off Venezuela" on the other.

"The eyes of the world will be on Venezuela," opposition leader David Smolansky said in advance of the concert as he spoke with Venezuelan migrants at a soup kitchen in the border city of Cucuta where the aid is being stored. "We hope that everything that has happened these last few weeks is the beginning of the end."

As Venezuela's political turmoil drags on, allies of Juan Guaido, who is being recognized by over 50 nations as the country's rightful president, are hoping the massive concert and aid push mark a turning point from which a transitional government is consolidated. But Maduro has shown no signs of backing down, and analysts warn that whatever happens over the next two days may not yield a conclusive victory for either side.

"I think one of the government's aims is to confuse the whole thing, possibly to create some kind of chaos that makes the opposition look bad," Phil Gunson, a senior analyst with the Crisis Group based in Caracas, said of Maduro's rival concert. "It's a propaganda war."

Branson agreed to back a concert in early February after being approached by Guaido, Leopoldo Lopez, an opposition leader under house arrest, and others including Colombian entrepreneur Bruno Ocampo, who said the magnate is now so committed to getting humanitarian aid into Venezuela that he will personally stay until Saturday to help ensure that food and medical supplies make it across the border.

Similar to the original 1985 Live Aid concert, which raised funds to relieve the Ethiopian famine, Branson has set a goal to raise $100 million within 60 days.

"We didn't know what we were getting into at the time," Ocampo said Thursday. "But in less than 24 hours we are going to witness something historic."

Friday's concert won't be the first time artists have used music to try and simmer tensions at the restive Colombia-Venezuela border. A concert known as Paz Sin Fronteras - Peace Without Borders - was held in 2008 after a diplomatic flare-up that drew Venezuelan troops to the Colombia border. That event was held on the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, which 33,000 people now use to enter Colombia each day.

"Throughout history, art has had a big role in fostering change," said Miguel Mendoza, a Venezuelan musician who will be performing Friday and won a Latin Grammy in 2010 as part of the pop duo Chino & Nacho. "Music, above all, has a magnificent power."

Six hundred tons of aid, largely donated by the U.S., has been sitting in a storage facility at what is widely known as the Tienditas International Bridge for two weeks. Even as several million Venezuelans flee and those who remain struggle to find basic goods like food and antibiotics, Maduro denies that a crisis exists. He contends the aid is a ploy by the Trump administration to overthrow his government. The military has placed a large tanker and two containers in the middle of the bridge to block it.

"Trump should worry about the poor in his own country," Maduro said this week.

Days after Branson launched his concert, Maduro's government announced that not only would they hold a rival festival but that they would also deliver over 20,000 boxes of food for poor Colombians in Cucuta Friday and Saturday.

The sharp rhetoric from both sides has put many in this border city of 700,000 on edge.

Paola Quintero, an activist for Venezuelan migrants, said that while the concert has had a positive, short-term impact on Cucuta's economy, many are worried about what might happen Saturday when thousands try to move aid across the border.

"What awaits those who will be on the bridge, trying to get aid through?" she said.

Venezuelans like Rosa Mora, 40, said they were still debating whether to heed the opposition's call for a mass mobilization at three bridges in the Cucuta area Saturday, fearful that they might be met with resistance by the military.

"I'm terrified of what's going to happen," she confided.

Still, when she thinks about her children and a sister with diabetes that has gone untreated for the last year, she leans toward participating.

"It won't be for me," she said. "But for our children."

On Thursday afternoon, organizers on the Colombia side of the border bridge were doing sound checks while in Venezuela a dozen workers sat idly in white plastic chairs chatting and listening to Venezuelan folk music on small speakers.

Riding by the bridge on his bike, college student Frander Duenas said he hoped to sneak into Colombia to see Branson's Venezuela Aid Live because he's a fan of the musicians performing. The government's festival didn't entice him in the least.

"This concert is for old people," he said. "No one is going to come here."
The Venezuela Aid Live benefit concert takes place on the Colombia–Venezuela border. The all-day event on the Colombian side of the Tienditas Bridge is expected to attract up to 250,000 people.