People boarding a Conviasa flight. File referential photo.
This Monday, October 5, Venezuela’s Vuelta a la Patria program brought back home 200 Venezuelans from Chile, amid xenophobia and discriminatory attacks that took place on September 24 and 25 of this year in the town of Iquique, Chile.
The news was confirmed by the Vice Minister for Latin America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ránder Peña, through a video posted on his Twitter account, @RanderPena. “In the midst of a xenophobic trend against Venezuelans,” he wrote, “they were victims of assault by a small group of people from Iquique, who do not represent the feelings of the Chilean people.”
RELATED CONTENT: Xenophobic Demonstrations Continue in Chile
AHORA//Estamos desde Santiago de Chile, cumpliendo con el deseo de retorno de 200 Venezolanos(as) que vuelven a su país, gracias al Pdte. @NicolasMaduro a través del "Plan Vuelta a la Patria",quienes hoy retornan les decimos:han tomado la mejor decisión.¡Es hora del Reencuentro! pic.twitter.com/wPhScpjUOD
— Rander Peña Ramírez (@RanderPena) October 4, 2021
He asserted that Chileans are like Venezuelans—tolerant, and possessing infinite virtues—and he took the opportunity to send an embrace of solidarity to all of the Chilean people.
“To those 200 Venezuelans who are coming to the country today, we say that they have made the best decision, and to those who remain, that we are waiting for them, that they are all needed in Venezuela,” added Peña.
On September 27 the government of President Maduro demanded that the national and local authorities of Chile respect the personal integrity of his fellow Venezuelans, who in recent days were subjected to acts of violence.
“Venezuela is the land of love and solidarity,” said the head of state, repudiating and denouncing acts of xenophobia and cruel mistreatment of Venezuelans who decided to migrate to Chile, partly due to the invitations issued by Chilean authorities between 2016 and 2019.
Featured image: People boarding a Conviasa flight. File referential photo.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
