Venezuela permitting 1500 deported Colombians to return to country

President Nicolas Maduro will let over 1,500 deported Colombians return to Venezuela and legalize their status, regional bloc UNASUR said yesterday, in a further easing of tensions between the two South American neighbours.

UNITED NATIONS – The leaders of Venezuela and Guyana agreed on the return of their ambassadors to the respective capitals and expressed willingness to resolve the question of sovereignty over the Essequibo region.

A few of those expelled said they were mistreated by Venezuelan officers.

The allegations of mistreatment caused outrage in neighbouring Colombia, which recalled its ambassador to Caracas.

Following a meeting between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Unasur Secretary-General Ernesto Samper on Monday, Venezuela agreed to allow the deported Colombians back as long as they agreed to “legalise their status”.

Venezuela says the border has become a unsafe haven for smugglers and criminal gangs.

Venezuela and Colombia announced an agreement last week to normalize relations following the escalated dispute on their shared border. In the subsequent operations to root out paramilitary groups and smuggling operations – another major issues along the border between the two countries – a few 1,700 undocumented Colombians were deported.

However, the border has remained closed and President Maduro said it would take months to “create a border of peace”.

A few 22,000 Colombians returned to their country voluntarily, according to United Nations figures.

President Granger thanked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for mediating at the meeting, which he said “afforded both sides the opportunity to explain their individual positions”.

Maduro’s critics say he is blaming poor Colombian immigrants for contraband of price-controlled goods and violence, when in fact responsibility lies with his decaying state-led economic model and failure to crack down on violent crime.