OE Watch Commentary: The situation in Venezuela seems to get worse by the month as political problems continue to cause chaos in virtually every sector of the country. Those most affected by this are the citizens themselves, as they continue to search for basic survival solutions due to lack of work, food, medication and other basic necessities. In light of these issues, migration seems to be one of the most readily available options. Wide scale migration is already prevalent in Colombia; an idea evidenced by the fact that in December 2017, more than half a million Venezuelans had already migrated to the country. However, this phenomenon is now extending to Brazil, as discussed in the accompanying excerpted article from Infobae. Authorities in Boa Vista estimate that in recent months, some 40,000 Venezuelan migrants have sought refuge in Brazil. Currently, those living in Boa Vista are crammed into small shelters or living on the streets. As for the city itself, it is located in Roraima State, one of the poorest in the country. For this reason, the local government is looking to the federal government for support in response to the massive migration as discussed in the accompanying excerpted article from El Nacional.
The accompanying excerpted article from Noticieros Televisa reports how Colombia and Brazil realize they need to do something to stop the mass migration from Venezuela, and in mid-February, both countries announced plans to expand troop deployments along their shared borders with Venezuela. As for Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos said he ordered the deployment of 3,000 additional security personnel to the Venezuelan border. Similar border measures have also been introduced by Brazil, which has announced plans to double its border patrols along the Venezuelan frontier. Brazilian authorities have also said they plan to relocate Venezuelan migrants away from border towns and disperse them into Brazil’s interior. At this point, the migration issue is critical and despite diplomatic disputes between Venezuela and Brazil, the Brazilian President has offered humanitarian aid to Venezuela and those who have sought refuge in the country. Colombia has also been generous in trying to help refugees, but neither Brazil nor Colombia have the long-term resources to support mass migration movements from Venezuela. Worse still, the article from Noticieros Televisa also points out that many expect that Nicolas Maduro will secure another six-year term in the 22 April election, in part, because the most popular opposition candidates have been banned from running. End OE Watch Commentary (Fiegel)