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Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza accuses Ivan Duque of "criminalizing Venezuelan immigration" REUTERS / Manaure Quintero

Last Monday, Colombian immigration announced the expulsion of 59 Venezuelans for "threat to public order and national security" while Colombia has been affected by a major social movement for more than a week. For the Venezuelan government, the evictions are a "smoke screen" by Colombian President Ivan Duque.

With our correspondent in Caracas , Benjamin Delille

The Venezuelan Foreign Minister says he is " indignant and deeply concerned " by these deportations. In a late statement, Jorge Arreaza accuses Ivan Duque of " criminalizing Venezuelan immigration to make us forget who is really responsible for the Colombian crisis, namely the government ".

In all, 83 Venezuelans have been expelled from Colombia in the past two weeks. All are accused of infiltrating the protests that have lasted since 21 November . Ivan Duque even suggested that the Venezuelan authorities were at work.

It is not the first to do so: Ecuador and Chile have also accused this fall Venezuela to blow on the embers of social protest in their country . Three nations that support the opponent Juan Guaidó and long claim the departure of Nicolas Maduro from power.

For its part, Caracas denies any interference. According to the Bolivarian government, these heads of state are trying to weaken Venezuela while giving up their responsibilities in the social crisis they face.