Violent Protests In Venezuela; Venezuelan Armed Force Threat
NOBLES: In Venezuela right now and on the borders all around it, chaos, anger, and violence. This is the border between Venezuela and Colombia today. But people throughout the country are furious. They've had enough of the economic and humanitarian crises that they blame fully on President Nicolas Maduro.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)</s>NOBLES: Across the border in Colombia, Venezuelan troops today faced protesters who are angry at the closed border. This is also one of the places where aid supplies are stacking up, waiting to be delivered to needy people inside Venezuela. President Maduro defiantly and directly threatening the United States today, suggesting that American aid supplies are the first stages of a coup. He said if the U.S., quote, "dares to attack his armed forces, we'll respond." The candidates for U.S. president are certainly watching what's happening in Venezuela. California Senator Kamala Harris tweeting today that people who flee Venezuela, her words, quote, "deserve safety and protection." She says if she is elected president, she would extend temporary protected status to Venezuelans. And this today from Senator Bernie Sanders. The Maduro government must put the needs of its people first, allow humanitarian aid into the country, and refrain from violence against protesters. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is on the Venezuela-Colombia border right now and CNN's Isa Soares is in Caracas. Nick, let's start with you. Tear gas and clashes involving riot police earlier today. You were in the middle of all of it. What is it like there right now?</s>NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I have to tell you, Ryan, we pulled back slightly from exactly the border area. But, literally in the last half hour or so, there were some really quite violent scenes, I must say. Still about nine hours or so after the first standoff began there. We continually heard tear gas. The aid trucks that were trying to get across, they pulled back. But the clashes are still going on and the scenes we saw were ugly, I must say. They seem to have found a couple of the pro-government, sort of, protesters, thugs you might say, they're referred to as</s>NOBLES: All right. That's the scene on the border with Colombia and Venezuela. Let's go now inside Venezuela to Caracas. That's where Isa Soares is. Isa, President Nicolas Maduro addressed his nation earlier. What did he tell the people of Venezuela?</s>ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He sounded extremely confident and steadfast in the fact that in his position, he's pretty much won. He said, I will never surrender. He -- in fact, he went on to say, I am stronger than ever. But as he walked onto the stage with his wife, and why -- while we saw protesters getting tear gassed and facing off with rubber bullets, I think we've got the footage of him, he was dancing salsa on stage with his wife. So, the quite the contrast of what is happening on the border, where Nick is and our team is, to what's happening in Caracas. But sounding extremely defiant with messages directed at Juan Guaido, saying that he is a puppet of U.S. imperialism, something that we have heard from him before, saying that he's also a clown. He also said relations with Colombia, saying that Colombian diplomats and ambassadors have to leave the country within 24 hours. Worth pointing out, though, I've been on the phone with the government of Colombia. And they, basically, said to me, we didn't even have an ambassador here. So -- and we don't recognize the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro. So, there was nothing to break in the first place. I want to play some sound, though, from what we heard from Nicolas Maduro. This is what he said if something happens to him. This is what the order he gave. Take a listen.</s>NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (translator): This is an order. An order for the military. If any day you wake up with the news that something has happened to Nicolas Maduro, go to the streets to make a revolution.</s>SOARES: So, he's really rallying his base and the Venezuelan vice president in the last few minutes saying that Guaido has been defeated. Those who stood by Guaido, talking in particular to the president of Colombia, that they have been defeated. So, for them, they're saying this is a win. And they keep saying that the aid was coming in. That was a trojan horse. The aid was contaminated. And went on to say, we are not beggers. So, the rhetoric still ramping up. Expect to hear more from Nicolas Maduro, Ryan, which, at this stage, seems more defiant than ever.</s>NOBLES: All right, Isa Soares live from Caracas, Venezuela. Thank you for that report. Another global hot spot will be on the agenda for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. He's focused on North Korea and whether President Trump can convince Kim Jong-Un to give up his nuclear program. The secretary of state joins our Jake Tapper to discuss the upcoming summit tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern on CNN. Divide and conquer. That is President Trump's plan to beat the growing field of Democratic contenders. Will it work and why is he watching the race so closely? You are live in the CNN Newsroom.