Thousands managed to cross on foot to stock up or receive medical attention. (AP via WSJ)

Venezuela Reopens Border, Thousands Pour into Colombia for Food and Medicine

Long lines of thousand Venezuelans stood at two international bridges between the city of San Antonio del Tachira in Venezuela and Cúcuta in Colombia on Sunday (6/9). Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro decided to reopen the border between the two countries after being shut down for the past four months due to political turmoil within the country, since Juan Guaidó’s declared himself as the rightful president of Venezuela in January.

With the reopening, Venezuelans seized on the opportunity to enter into the neighboring country to secure all basic items which are unattainable to be found in their home country. According to a recent IMF estimate, Venezuela is now facing severe hyperinflation that surpass 100 million percent this year which results in the shortages of basic goods. The issue has been further aggravated by US sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports.

In February, Maduro’s socialist government ordered to close the borders with Aruba, Brazil, Bonaire, Curacao, and Colombia as the United States, the key ally of opposition leader Juan Guaidó, tried to deliver aid in the form of food and medical supplies into the country. Maduro then dismissed the aid as it has infringed Venezuela’s sovereignty and prohibited it from entering the country. 

According to the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday (6/7), the political issue in Venezuela has forced an estimated 5,000 of its citizens to leave the country each day and to date, four million Venezuelans or almost 15 percent of the total population have left the country.

UNHCR’s special envoy who is also a Hollywood actress, Angelina Jolie, said on Saturday (6/8) that the governments also need to increase the talk of this humanitarian issue and solutions to solve it, instead of only focusing on the gap in diplomacy, security, and peace that keep causing the growing numbers of displaced people. Jolie was visiting the Colombia-Venezuela border to learn more about the refugees’ condition and raise awareness about their needs.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/06/10/world/social-issues-world/thousands-pour-colombia-buy-food-medicine-venezuela-reopens-border/#.XP32VBYzaYk