28 Feb 2018 | 08:13 AM UTC
Colombia: Mayors on Venezuelan border ask for emergency declaration
Colombian mayors near Venezuelan border petition for humanitarian emergency declaration and associated funds; no declaration made as of February 27
Event
Colombian mayors near the Venezuelan border recently petitioned the Colombian government to declare a humanitarian emergency along the border to provide funding to ameliorate the Venezuelan migrant crisis. The Colombian mayors reportedly met with Colombian government and military officials, as well as UN representatives, in Riohacha on February 20. However, as of late February, neither the Colombian government nor the UN have declared a humanitarian emergency in the border area. The Venezuelan migrant crisis is expected to worsen throughout 2018 as the country's economy continues to falter.
Context
Venezuelans face shortages of gasoline, food, medicine, and other basic necessities as the ongoing economic crisis in the country continues to worsen. A recent study estimates that nine out of every ten Venezuelans currently live in poverty. The IMF has estimated that in 2018 the Venezuelan economy will shrink by 15 percent and inflation in the country will reach 13,000 percent. Besides economic challenges, Venezuela is also facing ongoing political, social, and security crises. Over 500,000 Venezuelans have fled to Colombia in recent months.
Violence is common in the Colombia-Venezuela border region, where various criminal gangs fight for control of lucrative smuggling routes. The border crossings are also regularly used by thousands of Venezuelans coming to Colombia to legally purchase goods not available in their country; some 37,000 Venezuelans cross the border into Colombia on a daily basis. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos recently ordered the deployment of 3000 extra security forces personnel to fortify the border.
Advice
Individuals in Colombia are advised to monitor developments to the situation and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.
On a separate note, due to the presence of several armed groups - including organized crime groups, drug cartels, right-wing militias, local gangs, and the ELN guerrilla group - some Western governments advise against travel to various parts of the country.
