Less than a week after business magnate Richard Branson announced that he was organizing a "Live Aid"-style music benefit to tackle Venezuela's humanitarian crisis — it appears that the country's government has similar plans of its own. On Monday, the government of President Nicolas Maduro stated that it would hold its own concert this weekend on Venezuela's side of the border, according to the Associated Press (AP), opposite the Branson-led concert which will take place on the Colombian side of the border. Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez stated that 20,000 boxes of government-subsidized food would also be sent to the impoverished based in Cucuta, AP added, the Colombian border city where Branson's "Venezuela Aid Live" is set to be held on Friday. The government's rival concert is set to take place for two consecutive days later this week. Maduro appeared to confirm media reports that a government-led concert was taking place, by retweeting articles concerning the event on his verified Twitter account.

On February 18 2019, Workers assemble the platform for the February 22 concert organized by British billionaire Richard Branson to raise money for the Venezuelan relief effort in Cucuta, Colombia, on the Tienditas International Bridge. LUIS ROBAYO | AFP | Getty Images