Peru says it will scrutinize remittances, labor contracts and rents of Venezuelan citizens

The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, announced on Tuesday that her government will monitor the sending of remittances abroad by Venezuelans living in the Andean country, as well as their employment contracts and the origin of their income.

He justified this measure by relating the increase in crime to the arrival of Venezuelan citizens to the country in an exodus only comparable, he said, to that “of the time of Moses” and that is a consequence of “governments that have failed.”

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 1.5 million Venezuelans have migrated to Peru in recent years and Boluarte blamed previous governments for also allowing “foreign criminals” to enter the country.

That is why, he said, they will make adjustments to the immigration system in an attempt to control how some “foreign” citizens are financed in the country, although he only made reference to Venezuelans during his press conference.

“We tell foreigners who are in the country that we will throw them out of the national territory; We will not allow them to stay another day. “78 criminal gangs have been deactivated, and more than 1,800 criminals have been captured,” he said.

In September, 14 districts of Lima were declared in emergency by the government to empower the military to help the police fight insecurity, amidst criticism from formal companies that claim that the State is losing the battle against organized crime.

The government admitted that after the state of emergency, extortions against wineries, small businesses and restaurants have continued.

The Peruvian authorities blame part of the extortions on criminal groups such as the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua and other similar groups led mostly, they say, by Venezuelans.

“It’s not that we are not doing anything, and now we are going to make a readjustment of Immigrations. We are going to require each Venezuelan who supposedly works legally to present their employment contract, to present their rental contract,” he said.

“We are going to monitor the financial system, we are going to monitor the foreign currency or remittances that are sent outside the country, to know where these incomes are generated,” he stated. “And those who do not answer in a true way, where their income is from, well that’s where we are going to fall,” he added, in reference to Venezuelan migrants residing in the country.

President Boluarte made the announcement a day before a third strike by transporters demanding more effective measures to combat growing insecurity and extortion in the country.

“We will continue to strengthen the presence of the Police and the Army. And to the foreign criminals who are in our country, we tell them, we will throw them out of the national territory. We are not going to allow them to stay another day in our territory” , said.

[Parte de la información provino de Reuters]

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