Venezuela calls for respect for the rights of migrants stranded between Peru and Chile

The migration crisis continues on the border between Peru and Chile while these two countries hold talks to find a solution to the problem. For several days, around 300 people have been stuck in the area, according to figures from Amnesty International.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, assures that the migrants “are without food, water, shelter or healthcare” in an area with extreme weather conditions.

These groups of people found themselves blocked at the border while trying to cross, without documentation, from the northern Chilean city of Arica to the Peruvian city of Tacna. Most of them want to return to Venezuela, but they can’t even go back to their country of origin.

clashes at the border

This Saturday, April 29, there were clashes in the area when a group of Peruvian citizens tried to free the road that was being blocked by a group of migrants. Several people threw stones and one migrant was injured by the impact.

The Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, called for guarantees and respect for the human rights of the migrants who are still trapped in the area.

In order to repatriate its citizens, he also asked for guarantees so that the planes of the state airline Conviasa can land and take off in the area, “as well as supply fuel in a possible operation of our Plan Vuelta a la Patria, which allows us to return healthy and safe to our compatriots”.

Peru is concerned about the issue of crime

Following the entry into force of the state of emergency in the border areas of Peru, last Friday the government deployed 390 National Police officers and 196 soldiers on its border with Chile to support the police.

As explained by the Peruvian Minister of the Interior, Vicente Romero, Lima is allowing “solely and exclusively” the passage into the country of those migrants who have a visa, passport and alien card, but insisted that “if they do not have documentation, they cannot enter Peru”.

“There is a fairly large number that have not regularized their stay in Peru. That is what worries us because we need to identify (…) to know who are the good Venezuelan citizens and who are the ones who commit crimes,” said the minister.

Conversations in the region “advance”

“We have advanced in a level of dialogue with other countries because this is a problem that covers many countries and that goes back a long time,” declared the Prime Minister of Peru, Alberto Otárola. He also assured that “the details of whether or not a humanitarian corridor is possible” will be addressed.

The Chilean government asked this Friday the 28th to open a humanitarian corridor for all these people. “Our objective now is to control the crisis that has been generated on the border, but the main objective is to create a humanitarian corridor from Chile so that these people can return to their country,” said Manuel Monsalve, Chilean undersecretary of the interior.

Boric government representatives have already had contact with the Peruvian authorities. “We have discussed with the Peruvian government the possibility of creating conditions, be it for a humanitarian, air or land corridor, which would imply having a commitment with other countries in the region,” said Gloria de la Fuente, Chilean Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs.

But so far, no concrete solution has been proposed that would allow migrants to return to their country of origin. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), most of these migrants say that Peru is just a transit state where they do not plan to stay. 70% say they intend to arrive in Venezuela, 11% say they are going to Mexico or the United States or other destinations, and only 5% say they want to stay in Peruvian territory.

Diplomatic tension between Lima and Santiago

The migration crisis has strained relations between Peru and Chile, especially after the mayor of Tacna described President Gabriel Boric as “unmentionable” and “irresponsible” for his management of migration.

Peru’s prime minister, Alberto Otárola, also accused the Chilean president of mismanagement.

“What we ask of President Boric and the other presidents is that they solve their problems and not throw them into our country. We are actively talking with the Chilean immigration authorities to resolve a problem that affects both countries,” he stated.

Following the incident, the Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ana Cecilia Gervasi, reported that on Friday she held “a conversation with the Chilean foreign minister”, in which measures were agreed “for better control of the flow of migrants” on the common border between both countries.

“We are going to include, also in this dialogue, our counterparts from our neighboring countries that face this common phenomenon of irregular migration,” said the minister.

Venezuela is experiencing an unprecedented social and economic crisis that is forcing many citizens to seek better living conditions in countries of the region. In recent years, more than 7.1 million Venezuelans have emigrated, according to UN figures.

with EFE