Thousands of Venezuelans Seek Refuge in Colombia Amid Border Dispute

As the fight of the Venezuelan military against Colombian armed groups continues to escalate, the tensions on the border between the two countries prompted thousands of Venezuelans on Thursday to depart their homes and hideaway on Colombian soil close to the border.

The Colombian government, along with other displaced Venezuelans, disclosed that thousands of people from Venezuela have fled to the province of Apure in Colombia in the wake of the ongoing operations of the Venezuelan military against the Colombian armed groups. The military of Venezuela shared that their target armed groups are located in rural areas where it has its support from the local population.

Based on the statement of a Venezuelan who reached Colombia through a canoe, 26-year-old Niomar Diaz, they were nervous as they can hear the sounds of bombs falling on the ground. He also shared that the situation in the area was terrible, and in a house within their community, he even witnessed a mother died along with her son, daughter, and even their grandfather. Diaz also stated that the Venezuelan military was abusive. That is why his family and some of their neighbors chose to leave the country, Reuters reported.

Hundreds of Families Affected

According to Aljazeera, the Colombian Migration agency stated that more than 3,100 individuals or 780 families started to arrive in the municipality of Arauquita in Colombia on Monday because of the tensions at the border due to the ongoing military operations of the Venezuelan military.

Despite the border closure of Colombia due to the COVID-19 threat, still, some people from Venezuela chose to hide in the Colombian municipality due to military abuse.

The migration agency of Colombia also said that the foreigners were dispersed in eight shelters in the municipality of Arauquita while the Colombian government is assisting them in terms of food and medical needs. The governor of Arauca province, alongside the international community, is looking for additional resources to keep providing those who are in need of assistance.

On the other hand, the Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza, denounced the attacks by Colombia on civilians on the border and the usage of antipersonnel mines. He also added that his country would have a strong reaction if that will happen.

In his statement, Arreaza mentioned that Venezuela will effectively guarantee peace within its national territory and will ratify any attempt of territorial integrity violation. The Venezuelan Foreign Minister also emphasized that whether the execution is conventional or covert, by any armed group, or even any kind of attack, they will have a strong reaction.

In addition, Arreaza said that the operations that the Venezuelan military has conducted against illegal camps of Colombian armed groups have already led to the deaths of two Venezuelan soldiers. This week, the foreign ministry of Colombia also expressed that they were worried about the ongoing situation and urged the international community to contribute to those displaced by the tension, Bloomberg reported.

On Wednesday, the Colombian Defence Minister, Diego Molano, tweeted that the government will be increasing military and police presence on the border.

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