Refugees: scuffles on the border between Brazil and Venezuela

Text by: RFI Follow

Residents of the border town of Paracaima in Brazil are protesting against increased violence, which they say is linked to the influx of Venezuelan refugees due to the severe humanitarian crisis in the neighboring country.

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With our correspondent in Sao Paulo, Martin Bernard

Clashes took place Monday for the fourth consecutive day in the city of Paracaima. Protesters blocked the road to the border crossing with Venezuela, and forced residents to close shop. The police had to intervene to restore order with tear gas canisters.

Residents of this border town complain of increased violence since the arrival of Venezuelan refugees , following the political, economic and humanitarian crisis that the neighboring country has been going through for years. They also complain about the deterioration of care in hospitals, which are overworked.

The tension was exacerbated by the rape of a teenage girl last Friday attributed to a Venezuelan. Brazil received several thousand Venezuelan refugees on its territory as part of Operation "Acolhida", which means "Reception".

But protesters in this northern state of Brazil, ruled by an ally of President Bolsonaro, demand the closure of at least one of the 13 camps in the city, and do not hesitate to take on the refugees.

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• Brazil
• Venezuela
• refugees
• International Migration

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