SANTIAGO, CHILE, May 3 (Prensa Latina) The Chilean Foreign Ministry today announced a virtual meeting with officials from Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador on the situation in the north of that country, where hundreds of migrants have been stranded for weeks.
The meeting will be chaired by Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Gloria de la Fuente and the aim is to find a concrete solution to the humanitarian crisis, Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren said.
The head of Chilean diplomacy ruled out diplomatic tensions with Peru and Venezuela, highlighting the good dialogue that is being held in reserve with the countries involved in this situation.
For three weeks, around 300 foreigners, originally from Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti and other nations, have been trying to get to the Peruvian side to travel to their countries or other destinations, but the neighboring authorities are preventing them.
Van Klaveren explained that at the request of Venezuela, consular officials will be given the opportunity to question their compatriots there.
“We are facing a humanitarian crisis. As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have held high-level talks with both Peru and Venezuela. It’s about finding a concrete solution,” he said.
He reported that one of the alternatives being considered was the establishment of a humanitarian corridor, either by air or by land.
“It is important to remember that any solution depends on the will of all countries involved,” he said.
Human rights organizations denounced the situation of migrants, including children, the elderly and pregnant women.
This country has tightened its measures against foreigners, and recently prosecutors announced that preventive detention would be applied to those found without the required documentation.
Chile and Peru have militarized the dividing line to prevent the passage of undocumented immigrants stranded in an area with very hot temperatures during the day and freezing temperatures at night.