Members of the Venezuelan opposition criticized Chile’s decision to deport some 300 migrants, mostly Venezuelans, who had entered their territory irregularly.
They described the measure as “deplorable”, “harmful”, and contrary to international treaties.
“The Chilean government’s decision to deport a group of Venezuelans is not in line with the conduct assumed by the democratic Venezuelan governments that received hundreds of Chileans fleeing the more brutal dictatorships that made our country their second homeland, ”wrote Julio Borges, the“ foreign affairs commissioner ”of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, on Twitter.
The decision of the Chilean government to deport a group of Venezuelans is not consistent with the conduct assumed by the democratic Venezuelan governments that received hundreds of Chileans fleeing the most brutal dictatorships and that they made our country their second homeland.
– Julio Borges (@JulioBorges) February 10, 2021
Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Delgado announced on Tuesday that the migrants who would be deported had recently entered the country through the commune northern Colchane, on the border with Bolivia.
And on Wednesday the first flight of the Chilean Air Force took off with 87 migrants , the majority Venezuelans, expelled from the country.
“We are in the presence of the first flight that leaves from the north (of Chile) and reports an expulsion process, mostly people who entered clandestinely less than three months, “said Rodrigo Delgado.
And he added:” this is a notification that we make as the government of Chile so that all those people who think to enter clandestine steps teach, because their fate will be expulsion. ”
According to the Chilean media, the deportation is part of a government plan, the“ Colchane Plan ”, to put an end to illegal immigration.
“Collapse”
Deportations occur after two migrants, one Venezuelan and a Colombian, died while trying to reach Chilean territory on foot through the pass with Bolivia, which has a height that exceeds 3, 600 meters high.
According to the authorities Chilenas, the town of Colchane, which has a population of 1, 700 inhabitants, “collapsed” after the arrival of thousands of people in recent days.
The ar Massive migration of migrants caused a shortage of basic goods and clashes between foreigners and authorities.
In addition, it generated the collapse of the health system due to the Covid pandemic – 19, so the authorities installed camps in a preventive manner to attend to the immigrants.
“We are experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises. We are today with 1. himself. The highest concentration is found in the capital town of Conchane, where they live 300 people, “the mayor of the commune, Javier García, told BBC Mundo.
” Therefore, there has been an unprecedented collapse in the town, “he added.
The members of the Venezuelan opposition assure that the measure of expelling migrants violates international treaties for the protection of refugees.
“The deportations will not stop the human landslide of Venezuelans. They do not emigrate voluntarily, they are forced to flee from the dictatorship, they are refugees. Those with a criminal record, let the full weight of the law fall on them, but many innocents cannot pay for a few, ”wrote David Smolansky, Juan Guaidó’s representative to the OAS, on his Twitter account.
The deportations will not stop the human landslide of Venezuelans. They do not emigrate voluntarily, they are forced to flee from the dictatorship, they are refugees.
Those with a criminal record, let the full weight of the law fall on them, but for a few many innocents cannot pay
– David Smolansky (@dsmolansky) February 10, 1200
For your part, Julio Borges, referring to the more than four million Venezuelans who have fled their crisis-stricken homeland in recent years, wrote: “This human drama is not stopped by restrictions that further expose the lives of Venezuelans. The solution is not to deport, it is to multiply efforts to achieve the departure of Maduro. ”
A day before the expulsions from Chile, the Venezuelan opposition had celebrated the measure of the Colombian government to grant immigration status temporary legal for 19 years to around one million Venezuelans who have entered the country irregularly in recent years.
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