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Bacchus4.0

(6,837 posts)
Sun Jul 17, 2016, 11:58 AM Jul 2016

Thousands of Venezuelans enter Colombia for food, medicine

https://www.yahoo.com/news/thousands-venezuelans-enter-colombia-food-medicine-015249104.html


Colombia to buy food and medicine on Saturday after authorities briefly opened the border that has been closed for almost a year.

A similar measure last week led to dramatic scenes of the elderly and mothers storming Colombian supermarkets and highlighted how daily life has deteriorated for millions in Venezuela, where the economy has been in a freefall since the 2014 crash in oil prices.

Colombia's foreign ministry said in a statement that at least 35,000 Venezuelans entered Colombia on Saturday, and their entry took place "in an orderly manner and under conditions of security." The border was opened for roughly eight hours and will be opened again on Sunday, it said. Roughly 35,000 people also crossed during last week's 12-hour border opening.

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Colombian Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said "we have made a great effort to have sufficient supplies" for the Venezuelans expected to stream across the border on Saturday and Sunday.

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