Armed groups control regions in Colombia and Venezuela (January) 0:27
(CNN Spanish) -
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia expressed its concern about the "serious humanitarian effects" that the armed confrontations in the border region of the department of Arauca may have on civil society in the Venezuelan state of Apure.
In a series of tweets published this Wednesday, the Colombian Foreign Ministry called on the international community to join the assistance of what they called a humanitarian crisis since more than 3,100 people were forced to move to the country to protect themselves.
This figure was also confirmed by José Miguel Vivanco, director for the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW), who this Tuesday expressed his concern “for the more than 3,000 Venezuelans who have arrived in Arauquita, Colombia, fleeing confrontations. between Venezuelan military and FARC dissidents ”.
In his tweet, Vivanco added that they monitor the situation and called on both sides to respect the civilian population.
Two Venezuelan soldiers killed, several wounded and 32 captured in a confrontation in Apure, near the border with Colombia
The government of the questioned President Nicolás Maduro “categorically” rejected the statements of the Foreign Ministry of Colombia where, according to the Venezuelan government, Colombia expresses its “supposed concern” about the clashes.
"The abandonment of the borders by the Colombian State is a proven fact, granting more than tacit consent to the actions of various criminal groups operating in the area," said the Maduro government, in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to the government, Colombian armed groups “act against the civilian population, attacking electrical service facilities, the tax authority and the state oil company, also using terrorist methods such as the planting of anti-personnel mines, for whose dismantling Venezuela will request the specialized support from the United Nations ”.
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For its part, the Venezuelan Ministry of Defense reported on Tuesday that they fired with honors two soldiers who died in the clashes last Sunday with "Colombian irregular armed groups" in the José Antonio Páez municipality, in Apure state.
In that act, Vladimir Padrino López, minister of the portfolio, declared: “Any violent, armed group that is generating anxiety, destabilization, extortion of our people and in addition to that, they are or intend to occupy our territory for drug trafficking purposes, it will have the cohesive response of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces ”.
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