VICE NEWS: Humanitarian aid has become the political weapon of choice in Venezuela’s power struggle. →

CUCUTA, Colombia — The usual steady stream of Venezuelan migrants crossed the bridge into Colombia on Wednesday and lined up for free food and aid at soup kitchens and shelters. In the intense heat, women and children waited outside a Red Cross checkpoint, to receive urgent medical attention, seemingly unaware of the larger geopolitical struggle underway.

Trucks arrive with US Aid on Colombia’s Tienditas bridge, where it is stockpiled in warehouses. Photo: Steven Grattan