Venezuelan Gov't Facilitates Return of 89 Citizens from Peru, Rejects Xenophobia

The Venezuelan government facilitated the return of some 89 citizens to Venezuela, arriving into the country Tuesday morning from Peru after they requested to return to their home country, the Venezuelan foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday afternoon confirming earlier reports by teleSUR. 

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“The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela informs all its people and the international community that yesterday, returned to the Homeland from Peru 89 Venezuelans who had crossed our borders attending the false promises and the lies of the centers of power and media war against our country." the ministry said in a press release Tuesday. 

Hugs, laughter, and tears were observed upon arrival at the Maiquetía International Airport "Simón Bolívar", reported teleSUR correspondent in Venezuela, Madelein García in videos posted on her Twitter account.

"This is the arrival of the 89 #Venezuelans repatriated by the government of #Venezuela from #Perú. Hugs, laughter, crying and the warmth of being back in their homeland "the smell of my country."

The government's statement went on to say that those Venezuelans had contacted the embassy in Peru to request the return to their country and ask their government for help after they were subjected to “humiliation, cruel and inhuman treatment, xenophobia and hate crimes.”

“The most brutal thing is that all these expressions of inhumanity have been and are encouraged by centers of power of the oligarchies and right-wing governments of this continent.”

The Venezuelan foreign ministry also highlighted how over the years Venezuela has welcomed millions of migrants from all over the region and continent. “In our country 6 million Colombian brothers live together along with 600,000 Ecuadorean brothers and more than 500,000 Peruvians, whom we generously welcomed as sisters and brothers of the Great Homeland, offering them medical care, free education and all the benefits that this Bolivarian Revolution provides to all and all equally, came to this Earth fleeing from the war, paramilitarism, poverty and hunger.”

The statement concluded by rejecting the acts of xenophobia and racism that has been shown towards Venezuelan migrants in some countries over the past few months as mainstream media and right-wing governments in the region and the West sound the alarm over Venezuelan migration.

Several of those who returned said they do not intend to leave the country and criticized the campaign that is carried out regarding the migration of their compatriots.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry had reported on the return of the Venezuelan citizens after they requested help from the government to return from Peru as part of the "Vuelta A La Patria" (Return to Homeland) plan promoted by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.