Thousands of Venezuelans flee to Colombia after distress on border

Tensions on the border between Colombia and Venezuela moved to rise on Thursday amid military operations that forced thousands of Venezuelans to flee their homes.

Friday, 26th March 2021

Venezuelan migrants inside a temporary camp, after fleeing their country due to military operations, according to the Colombian migration agency, in Arauquita, Colombia [Colombian Ombudsman Office/Handout via Reuters]

Tensions on the border between Colombia and Venezuela moved to rise on Thursday amid military operations that forced thousands of Venezuelans to flee their homes along the border with Colombia. Thousands of Venezuelans have fled the province of Apure to Colombia in the wake of the continuation of military operations, the Colombian government and some of the displaced have said. Also read: Venezuela announces ‘radical quarantine’ as COVID-19 surge Venezuela said its army was fighting Colombian armed groups in rural areas and had the support of its population. "When the bombs fell, I felt so nervous," Niomar Diaz, 26, who arrived in Colombia by canoe, told Reuters news agency. 'In one house, a grandfather died, an eight-year-old boy died, a nine-year-old girl and her mother. The situation was terrible." Diaz said the Venezuelan army was abusive and that his family and several neighbours preferred to flee. Also read: 1 million Venezuelan migrants to get legal status in Colombia More than 3,100 people in 780 families form the group, which began arriving in the Colombian municipality of Arauquita on Monday due to military operations, the Colombian Migration Agency declared. The borders closed due to COVID-19 "The foreigners are in 8 shelters in the Arauquita municipality, and the national government, the governor of Arauca and the international community are making efforts to provide their assistance," the agency said. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced Venezuela's attacks by Colombia on civilian targets at the border, as well as the use of anti-personnel mines, saying his country would have a "strong response". "Venezuela will definitely ensure peace within the national territory and ratify any attempt to violate territorial integrity," Arreaza said in a statement, "whether it is conventional or covert, by any armed organization, whether regular or irregular. is, will have a strong response." Also read: “Overloading” caused sinking of migrant’s boat, says Venezuelan officials According to the statement, the operations against illegal camps of Colombian armed groups were carried out, and two Venezuelan soldiers were killed. Colombia's Foreign Ministry said on Twitter this week that it was concerned about the situation and called on the international community to provide assistance to displaced people.