Portal:Current events/2019 February 22

February 22, 2019 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
- Venezuelan National Guard (GNB) troops open fire on a group of indigenous Pemon protesters that attempted to block a military convoy heading to the Brazil–Venezuela border, killing at least two people and wounding 14 others, several seriously. (The Washington Post) (Miami Herald)
American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- U.S. President Donald Trump agrees to keep about 400 U.S. troops in Syria. (CNN)

Arts and culture

Crisis in Venezuela
- The Venezuela Aid Live benefit concert takes place on the Colombia–Venezuela border. The all-day event on the Colombian side of the Tienditas Bridge is expected to attract up to 250,000 people. (The Journal)
- In response to the concert, Nicolás Maduro announces a rival concert on the Venezuelan side of the border, and state-owned Venezolana de Televisión reports 150 artists will participate, but no artists are signed. (Billboard)
- Venezuelan interim President Juan Guaidó arrives at the Venezuela Aid Live concert in Cúcuta, Colombia, defying a travel ban placed on him by the Maduro regime. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

List of earthquakes in 2019
- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hits Ecuador, near the border with Peru. It is relatively deep, with a depth of 152 km (94 mi). (USGS)
Flooding is reported throughout Tennessee amid heavy rain. Rain is expected to continue, possibly making the flooding worse. (WSMV)

Law and crime

R. Kelly sexual abuse case
- American musician R. Kelly is indicted for raping a minor. A judge in Cook County, Illinois, issues an arrest warrant for Kelly in regard to 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. (CNN) (NBC News)
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is charged in a prostitution sting in the U.S. state of Florida. (The New York Times) (USA Today)

Politics and elections