ó ▁began ▁to ▁lead ▁nation wide ▁demonstr ations ▁in ▁early ▁February , ▁demand ing ▁the ▁entrance ▁of ▁human itar ian ▁aid ▁into ▁Venezuela , ▁with ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁Venez uel ans ▁protest ing ▁in ▁support . ▁ ▁The ▁administration ▁of ▁Nicol ás ▁Mad uro ▁deployed ▁police ▁officers ▁at ▁all ▁land ▁borders ▁beginning ▁on ▁ 5 ▁February ; ▁in ▁response , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁threatened ▁to ▁send ▁military ▁personnel ▁to ▁Colombia ▁and ▁Brazil ▁to ▁protect ▁those ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁deliver ing ▁the ▁aid . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁announ cement ▁that ▁international ▁human itar ian ▁aid ▁would ▁enter ▁via ▁the ▁Colombia – V enez uela ▁border , ▁PS U V ▁politician ▁and ▁former ▁el ite ▁polic eman ▁Fred dy ▁Bern al ▁appeared ▁at ▁the ▁border ▁with ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁armed ▁forces ▁and ▁the ▁FA ES . ▁ ▁On ▁ 6 ▁February , ▁human itar ian ▁aid ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁arrived ▁in ▁Colombia , ▁to ▁be ▁delivered ▁and ▁distributed ▁in ▁Venezuela . ▁That ▁same ▁day , ▁Brazil ian ▁Foreign ▁Minister ▁Ern esto ▁Ara ú jo ▁hint ed ▁that ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁operations ▁of ▁human itar ian ▁aid ▁in ▁Brazil ▁would ▁be ▁Pac ara ima . ▁In ▁parallel , ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Nicol ás ▁Mad uro ▁blocked ▁the ▁Ti end itas ▁International ▁Bridge ▁with ▁cargo ▁containers , ▁already ▁closed ▁since ▁its ▁completion ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁which ▁connect s ▁C ú c uta ▁and ▁the ▁Venez uel an ▁municipality ▁of ▁U re ña . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁day , ▁as ▁the