Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia. File photo.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated that in order to stop the exodus of migrants transiting through the Darién Forest, the sanctions on Venezuela must be lifted.
The Colombian president made the comment in a social media post, referring to the subject of discussion of the meeting between Colombian Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva and several high-level US government officials.
“If we really want to stop the humanitarian disaster of the exodus through the Darién, Venezuela must be economically unblocked,” Gustavo Petro commented.
Si queremos en verdad frenar el desastre humanitario del éxodo por el Darién hay que desbloquear económicamente a Venezuela.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) September 8, 2023
Colombian Foreign Minister Leyva met with White House National Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall; the head of the US Southern Command, Laura Richardson; and the Under Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma. The meeting was aimed at addressing illegal migration and the challenges faced by the US and Colombia in this aspect.
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As part of the event, the officials traveled to the Darién area (Necocli) to inspect the situation at the Colombia-Panama border. They also discussed the need to increase bilateral cooperation to address irregular migration.
After the meeting, both countries pledged to continue working together on regional and multilateral issues.
At the end of August, the Panamanian government announced that it will adopt strong measures to address the increase in migrant flow through the Darién Forest to reach the United States.
This week, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that so far this year, 330,000 people have crossed the Darién.
In this scenario, the UN called on all countries to promote solutions based on international human rights, as well as to address the structural factors that force people to leave their homes and undertake dangerous journeys in search of safety and a more dignified life.
The UN lamented that migrants and refugees are exposed to multiple human rights violations and abuses, including sexual violence and trafficking, during their dangerous journeys.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/AF
