Thousands of Venezuelans flee clashes on the border with Colombia 2:46
(CNN Spanish) -
The Venezuelan Ministry of Defense reported this Thursday that two sergeants were killed by the detonation of a mine activated by "irregular Colombian armed groups" in the state of Apure, on the border with Colombia, where there have been several clashes in recent years. days.
With this, there are already four Venezuelan soldiers who have lost their lives in these events in recent days.
The detonation would have occurred, according to the questioned government of Venezuela, when the military was moving on a patrol to the José Antonio Páez de Apure municipality.
In that same incident, the statement said, another nine military personnel were injured, who are already receiving medical treatment.
The Ministry of Defense maintains in the document that these groups "intended to illegally occupy sectors of the Venezuelan geographic space to carry out their criminal activities."
He adds that until the day before the balance of the operation "Bolivarian Shield 2021" includes nine neutralized "terrorists", 31 pre-trial detainees and placed at the disposal of a military court and a woman who, they say, will be presented "in the next few hours." before the same court.
It also includes six disabled explosive devices, as well as nine destroyed camps, including one for the processing of cocaine paste.
Weapons and other equipment were also seized as part of the operation.
The statement does not clarify how they were "neutralized" or under what charges the arrests were made.
Battles will continue "as long as necessary"
The official note ends by stating that the fighting will continue "as long as it is necessary to neutralize these criminals, wherever they may be."
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While the questioned Maduro government blames Colombia for the violence, Bogotá rejects the accusations.
On more than one occasion, the Iván Duque administration has accused senior Venezuelan officials of having links with the FARC dissidents, something they deny.
As reported by Venezuelan and Colombian authorities, these clashes have been reported at least since March 21.
Figures from Colombia Migration published on Wednesday estimate that at least 4,741 people have fled Venezuela to the neighboring country and settled in Arauquita in about 19 shelters.
They release journalists and activists who were detained in Apure
The correspondents of the Colombian media NTN24 Luis Gonzalo Pérez and Rafael Hernández and the activists of the Venezuelan non-governmental organization Fundaredes Juan Carlos Salazar and Diógenes Tirado, detained since Wednesday in the border state of Apure of Venezuela, were released this Thursday, according to the director of Fundaredes, Javier Tarazona.
"They took away their telephone equipment, cameras to do their press and documentation work," Tarazona wrote.
The official NTN24 Twitter account dedicated to Venezuela also confirms the fact.
"The relatives managed to speak with one of them," was written from the account.
The director of Foro Penal, Gonzalo Himiob, said on his Twitter account that they were released "without a presentation."
He also affirmed that they are in Guasdualito, the last important city of Apure before the border line with Arauca in Colombia.
The Venezuelan National Guard detained the journalists and activists while "they were carrying out documentation work," according to Fundaredes.
CNN has tried, unsuccessfully, to obtain the version of events directly from the Venezuelan Ministry of Defense.
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