Brazil has announced that it will send troops to its border with Venezuela over the recent incidents at the town of Pacaraima. The troops will be at the border tomorrow after locals of the town of Pacaraima forced out Venezuelan immigrants from their camps.
The town has become a major crossing point for Venezuelans who are fleeing from the situation in their country. Thousands have already crossed to Brazil and authorities from neighboring countries believe the situation will not get any better.
Tensions between the residents of the town and Venezuelan immigrants began on Saturday. On that day, a merchant was robbed and seriously injured. The incident has been blamed on Venezuelan suspects.
The incident angered residents who responded to the news by attacking two camps in the town. During the attacks, the Venezuelan immigrants crossed back into their country. The residents burned their belongings.
The tensions come during a time in which two South American countries are trying to put an end to the high amounts of Venezuelans crossing to their countries. Peru and Ecuador recently announced new entry requirements for Venezuelans. The new entry requirements ask Venezuelans to have a passport. Before the changes, Venezuelans were allowed to enter the countries with just their national ID card.
Carol Marcano, a Venezuelan who works in Boa Vista, said the residents burned the tents and everything that was inside. Marcano said some Venezuelans reacted to the attack by destroying a car with license plates from Brazil. Marcano was returning to Venezuela when the incident happened.
Military police said that three Brazilians were injured in the clashes. A resident told AFP that the merchant who was attacked is known in the area. The resident added that there was indignation when people found out he had been robbed.
Just a few days ago, Brazil closed its border with Venezuela for a few hours. The decision was made by one of the towns right next to the border with Venezuela. The court later overturned the decision and the border was re-opened.
Venezuela’s situation has forced millions to flee the country in recent years. South American countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina have become popular destinations among Venezuelans. Experts believe the situation will get worse with the recent announcements by the government involving the new currency. The IMF predicts that inflation will reach one million percent.
