Thousands of Venezuelans flee to Colombia amid violence on border
Thousands of Venezuelans have fled their country in the past month. They are running away from intense armed clashes which involve Venezuela’s army and Colombia’s rebel groups. Refugees say they were pushed out of their homes by the military and describe human rights abuses, disappearances and home break-ins. A prominent Colombian guerrilla fighter, Jesus Santrich, was killed on Tuesday in Venezuelan territory as part of the ongoing conflict.
When the bombs were falling, I felt so nervous,” said Niomar Diaz, 26, who arrived in Colombia by canoe, told the Reuters news agency. “In one house, a grandfather died, an eight-year-old boy died, a nine-year-old girl and her mom. The situation was terrible.”
Diaz said the Venezuelan military was abusive, and his family and several neighbours chose to flee. More than 3,100 people in 780 families make up the group, which began arriving in the Colombian municipality of Arauquita starting on Monday because of the military operations, Colombia’s migration agency said.
Venezuela rejects the statements of the Colombian Foreign Ministry regarding an “alleged concern” about the operations of the FANB (Venezuela’s armed forces) in the state of Apure. Any attempt to violate the territorial integrity of Venezuela will have a strong reaction.
On Wednesday, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced attacks by Colombia on civilian targets on the border, as well as the use of antipersonnel mines, and said his country would have a “strong reaction”.
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