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With the aim of recovering control over Venezuela’s southern border with Colombia, the first day of a state of exception began Saturday in the country.
More than 2,000 soldiers from the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) and other state security forces were deployed in the early hours of the morning to the La Invasion region in San Antonio, Tachira state.
Around 500 families live in the area, 90 percent of them originating from Colombia. Intelligence information has revealed that the area is a hub for criminals and the Colombian paramilitary, but other Colombians fleeing the difficult situation in their country also stay there.
Morantes Torres, of the FANB said that fleeing Colombians were the minority.
President Nicolas Maduro declared a state of exception – similar to a state of emergency but where no human rights are rescinded – in five municipalities of Tachira state Friday in order to re-take control over the border area and re-organize it.
“Tachira has a big influence on the rest of the country, and taking control like this, we believe will have an impact on the current situaiton in the country with food and insecurity,” Morantes said, referring to shortages of some food products that are often smuggled to Colombia and sold at higher prices. It is estimated that 40 percent of supplies for Venezuelans are taken to Colombia.
Soldiers on the southern border region, Saturday. Photo: teleSUR
Jose Vielma Mora, governor of Tachira and in charge of implementing the state of exception, said that each month, 27,000 tons of food arrive in area, “enough to supply 1.5 mllion Tachira residents, but the vast majority goes as contraband to Colombia, and that’s why there’s scarcity and long lines (for food).”
Vielma said that the situation will be controled, and the state of exception will facilitate a census of businesses, the population, schools, and other relevant sectors in the five municipalities.
He clarified that the state of exception didn’t mean the suspention of any rights, “Just the opposite, we’re going to return the people’s rights to them after they have been taken by an incursion of Colombian paramilitary violence in Venezuela.”
Maduro has asked that the Venezuelan and Colombian foreign ministers meet in order to find joint solutions to the border issue. This meeting is now tipped to occur on Wednesday:
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Acabo de conversar con la Canciller Holguín y adelantamos la reunión binacional para el miercoles 26 de agosto. pic.twitter.com/BGb4R9Hapl
— Delcy Rodríguez (@DrodriguezVen)
August 22, 2015
“I’ve just talked to (Colombian) foreign minister Holguin, and we have brought forward our bilateral meeting to Wednesday 26 August” – Venezuelan foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez.
