Opposition denounces “humiliation” against Venezuelan migrants by police and military

The statement was made by Carlos Valero, deputy and member of the Foreign Policy Commission of the National Assembly (AN). “The new wave of migrants walking or asking for queues (free transfers) is a demonstration of despair in the face of a terrible economic situation.”

The Venezuelan opposition denounced this Thursday, October 15, the “robberies, humiliations and humiliations” to which state security officials “subject” compatriots who walk to the border with Colombia to escape the crisis in the country.

The complaint, made public by Carlos Valero, deputy and member of the Foreign Policy Commission of the National Assembly (AN), points to the Venezuelan government for inciting the police and military to mistreat those they should protect.

“The hate speech of the Maduro regime against the brothers who have fled the economic crisis has a sounding board in the police and military. Our brothers are being humiliated, robbed and humiliated by those who are supposed to protect them,” said the parliamentarian .

Valero also warned of a new wave of Venezuelan emigrants who are leaving “walking and queuing” from the cities of the interior of the country to the border “to go through the trails to Colombia and other countries in the region in search of better quality of life”.

This phenomenon, which has been repeated in Venezuela for about five years, was considerably reduced as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, but in recent weeks it has returned strongly, as Efe recently found.

“The new wave of migrants walking or asking for queues (free transfers) is a demonstration of despair in the face of a terrible economic situation. Even in the midst of the pandemic they take risks with what little they have looking for better conditions,” the deputy reiterated.

In his opinion, it is “only the beginning of a new migratory wave in much more precarious conditions than the previous ones”, since the risk of contagion is added to the usual difficulties.

Five million lives uncertain

Valero estimates that “with this massive exodus that is occurring,” the number of Venezuelan emigrants and refugees could reach 5.5 million by the end of 2020.

The data practically coincides with that provided by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and updated on October 5, which estimates the number of emigrants who to date are outside the country or with the intention of leaving the country at 5,490,002. get out.

“This figure represents the sum of Venezuelan migrants, refugees and asylum seekers reported by the host governments,” the international institution explained when presenting the report.

Unhcr added that “it does not necessarily imply individual identification or registration of each individual, and includes a degree of estimation, according to the statistical data processing methodology used by each government.”

However, he considers that the total number could be higher, because “many of the government sources do not take into account Venezuelans without regular immigration status,” but only those who have regularized or sought to regularize their situation.

Difficult journey, but necessary

“We tell all our brothers that the economic, health and service conditions are not in place to undertake this journey, but we understand their suffering and despair,” explained the deputy, who understands the need to flee, due to the country’s situation, that forces Venezuelans to seek a decent life.

He assured that, from the National Assembly (AN, Parliament), everything in its power will be done to help them and “make visible the violations of their human rights, documenting what happens”, both with those who flee the country and with those who try to return.

According to the legislator, the attitude of the security personnel is due to the “campaign of hatred that Maduro has launched against Venezuelan migrants and refugees” and for this reason he demanded that the uniformed men “stop the abuses and arbitrariness towards the walkers who go to the border “, as well as those who return.

“They have to understand that they are also his brothers. Do not get caught up in the hate speech and xenophobia promoted by Maduro and his acolytes. We will take the corresponding complaints to the competent authorities, within the National Assembly, as well as to international organizations. “, he concluded.