Humanitarian crisis on Venezuela border

Cúcuta, on the verge of a social crisis due to immigration wave
Improvised shelters and other scenarios illustrate the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis

By GDA | THE TIME | COLOMBIA
FEBRUARY 1, 2018 08:45 AM | UPDATED ON FEBRUARY 01, 2018 08:48 AM

(translated from Spanish)

The appearance of makeshift shelters in the public space, the proliferation of street vendors vociferating in the streets with notorious Venezuelan accent and a high interference of foreigners in the commission of different crimes are some of the daily scenarios that try to illustrate the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis which is going through Cúcuta.

The conditions of hunger and precariousness in which hundreds of citizens of the neighboring country cross the border force the streets of this capital to become a refuge option. Proof of this was what happened with the disappeared 'Hotel Caracas', an improvised hostel conditioned in a sports center by 616 migrants.

This agglomeration of foreigners began to generate problematic situations, with serious humanitarian nuances, which led the City Hall of Cúcuta to undertake eviction and clean-up operations, with the intervention of the Colombian police and migration, to restore tranquility in recreational spaces such as this court.

"The picture of poverty that we saw during that operation is really worrying, because it is something that is beginning to be seen in several corners of the city. That is why we are asking the national government to design a care policy and turn the adequate resources to face this problem, "explained Mauricio Franco, secretary of government of Cúcuta.

http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/latinoamerica/cucuta-borde-una-crisis-social-por-ola-migratoria_221281

Maduro (El Presidente of Venezuela) says that this is all propaganda, courtesy of Colombia, the EU, the opposition and especially the vile CIA of the United States. Venezuela is a land of plenty. No hardships. Food and medicines are cheap and easy to come by. Besides, Colombians are just jealous...