LONDON (CelebrityAccess) Roger Waters has slammed Richard Branson’s upcoming Venezuela Aid Live concert, calling it a U.S.-backed effort to spread anti-Venezuelan propaganda.
Waters claims the concert, which is expected to take place on the Colombia border of Venezuela and intends to raise $100 million in humanitarian aid for the people of the country, is actually creating a scenario of famine and violence for a country that is not in that bad a state.
“It has nothing to do with humanitarian aid at all,” Waters said, according to The Guardian. “It has to do with Richard Branson … having bought the US saying, ‘We have decided to take over Venezuela, for whatever our reasons may be.'”
The country has been by all other accounts in turmoil with socialist President Nicolas Maduro facing international condemnation after refusing to step down after a disputed re-election last year. Venezuela has seen massive protests, a downward economic spiral and the exodus of millions of its people plus government data puts its homicide rate among the world’s highest. Meanwhile, the U.S. has recognized ass president Venezuela’s congress chief, Juan Guaido. Guaido has declared himself interim president, invoking constitutional provisions.
Waters claims the concert is part of a U.S. attempt to paint Venezuela as a nation in chaos to justify regime change. He said there was “no mayhem, no murder, no apparent dictatorship” in the country, adding, “Do we really want Venezuela to turn in to another Iraq or Syria or Libya? I don’t and neither do the Venezuelan people.”
Branson’s concert, featuring acts like Alejandro Sanz, Luis Fonsi and Maluma, is expected to broadcast live worldwide this Friday. Maduro’s government is expected to produce a rival concert just across the border.
“Richard is helping them to raise awareness of the crisis in Venezuela and raise much-needed funds through this event,” a representative for Virgin, which handles media inquiries for Branson, said in a statement. “This is not a political statement and the US is not involved in any aspect of this.”
