By Luis De Jesus
Apr 26, 2024, 7:30 PM EDT
In the last few hours, information circulated that Gustavo Petro’s government would begin to require Venezuelan migrants to have a valid passport to allow them to enter Colombia. This, according to the draft of a Foreign Ministry decree leaked by the Colombian media, and which had not yet been signed by the left-wing president.
Colombia, in northwestern South America, stands out as a crucial country for migrants seeking to cross the dangerous and challenging Darien Gap, especially Venezuelans. This nation has become a focal point due to its geographic location, being the entry point to Central America and, eventually, North America.
The Foreign Ministry, in the draft, indicated that, after the reestablishment of diplomatic and consular relations between Colombia and Venezuela in August 2022, followed by the official reopening of the land border between both countries in September of the same year, it is considered that the Circumstances that led to the formulation of Resolution 2231 of June 9, 2021 have been overcome.
In that Resolution 2231, provisions were established for the entry, transit, stay and exit of Colombian territory for Venezuelan nationals with expired passports. However, with the reestablishment of diplomatic relations, according to the text, all visa applications should be submitted with a valid passport with at least six months of validity.
Several analysts presumed that the possibility that Gustavo Petro’s government would require a valid passport from Venezuelans would be linked to the presidential election on July 28 in the country governed by Nicolás Maduro, who is seeking re-election and that, if he gets a new term, It would cause another unprecedented wave of migration, which would cause more problems for Colombia and countries in the region.
The Colombian president himself put an end to the rumors, but several hours later. “That’s not true. “My government will not require passports from Venezuelan migrants,” Petro said through the social network X this Friday.
Data from Migration Colombia indicate that as of November of last year, approximately 2,875,473 Venezuelan migrants resided in the country. And, of that amount, 2,306,810 had the Temporary Protection Permit.
Keep reading:
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