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The tone goes up between Venezuela and Peru. Nicolas Maduro's government accused the Peruvian authorities of promoting xenophobic acts against Venezuelan migrants. A reference to an anti-Venezuelan demonstration on the border between Peru and Chile last Friday. Lima responded in the wake of calling the accusations "unfounded".
From our correspondent in Caracas , Benjamin Delille
" Scandalous and inhumane " acts. This is how the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry describes the event on Friday, 27 September, in Tacna, southern Peru. You could hear " Maduro, get your trash " or " Out of the Venecos" , a deprecating term to refer to Venezuelans abroad.
According to Caracas, this xenophobic rally was " allowed by the Peruvian authorities " and " by their hate campaigns against Venezuelans ". Unfounded accusations according to Lima that blames " the illegitimate and dictatorial regime of Nicolas Maduro, the only person responsible for the humanitarian disaster in Venezuela ".
850,000 Venezuelan refugees in Peru
This pass of arms comes as at least 850,000 Venezuelans are currently in Peru according to the UN. A massive presence less and less well perceived by the population of the country. According to a recent poll by Ipsos, a majority of Peruvians believe that crime is increasing as a result of Venezuelan immigration. A deleterious climate that has pushed the government to increase the evictions of Venezuelans in an irregular situation, each day more numerous.
The opponent Juan Guaidó, recognized by Peru as acting president, also denounced the xenophobic violence, but said he was willing to work with Lima to protect Venezuelan nationals.
►Also read: Peru: drastic drop in the number of Venezuelan migrants