Thousands
of Venezuelans have rushed to cross
into Peru in a bid to beat the introduction of tougher migration laws.
From midnight local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday, Venezuelans
need to have a valid passport and visa to enter Peru.
The new requirements prompted a dash to the border from those
fleeing Venezuela’s years-long economic crisis.
Some four million people have fled Venezuela since 2015,
according to the United Nations.
The country’s imploding economy has resulted in high
unemployment and shortages of food and medicine, and hundreds of thousands of
people are said to be in need of humanitarian aid.
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Prior to Saturday’s deadline, Venezuelan citizens wanting to enter Peru only require a national ID card.
Venezuela crisis: How the political situation escalated
Venezuela: All you need to know about the crisis in nine charts
Prior to Saturday’s deadline, Venezuelan citizens wanting to enter Peru only require a national ID card.
Nearly 6,000 Venezuelans entered through the border town of
Tumbes on Thursday, officials said, which is almost three times the daily
average.
Marianni Luzardo was travelling to Peru’s northern border with
her two daughters on Friday. “In Venezuela it is almost impossible to get a
passport,” she told the Associated Press. “We need to get to Peru soon.”
Peru’s President Martin Vizcarra defended the tougher migration
restrictions on Thursday.
“Our country has opened its arms to more than 800,000
Venezuelans,” he told reporters at an event in the northern city of Piura. “I
think it’s completely logical and justified to ask them to bring visas to
ensure better control of who enters.”
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Latin American countries host the vast majority of Venezuelan
migrants and refugees. Colombia has the most at 1.3 million, followed by Peru
with 768,000, according to UN figures.
What’s the situation in Venezuela?
Under the government of Nicolás Maduro, the economy has collapsed and shortages of food and medicines have become widespread.
Under the government of Nicolás Maduro, the economy has collapsed and shortages of food and medicines have become widespread.
In parts of the oil-rich country, fuel has become scarce and
drivers queue for days at petrol stations. There are also frequent blackouts.
The government says the shortages are caused by US sanctions.
The opposition argues that they are the result of mismanagement and corruption
by consecutive socialist governments.
The crisis deepened in January after Juan Guaidó, the head of
the National Assembly, declared himself interim president, arguing that Mr
Maduro’s re-election last year had been “illegitimate”.
He has since been recognised by more than 50 countries,
including the US and most of Latin America. But Mr Maduro retains the loyalty
of most of the military and important allies such as China and Russia.
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