Brazil troops sent to keep order as migrants flee Venezuela crisis

A Venezuelan boy offers food to a dog in Pacaraima, the main entry point for Venezuelans, in the Brazilian northern state of Roraima, Brazil. Photo / AP

Brazil is sending in troops to restore order in a troubled border state where locals and Venezuelan refugees fleeing their country's economic collapse have clashed violently.

Residents in the state of Roraima, where most of the Venezuelans cross the border, have rioted and attacked immigrants in recent weeks.

President Michel Temer said that his decision to deploy the Brazilian armed forces in the region was aimed at keeping order and ensuring the safety of the immigrants.

The situation in Roraima has become increasingly fraught in recent months.
Its homicide rate spiked this year and is now the highest in Brazil.

As a result of the crisis in Venezuela, 700 to 800 Venezuelans are entering Brazil every day.

Temer said the authorities were discussing limiting that to between 100 and 200 as the border state struggles to cope with the influx.

"The problem of Venezuela is no longer one of internal politics. It is a threat to the harmony of the whole continent," the President said in a televised address.

More than 50,000 Venezuelans, many of whom are hungry or sick and have little or no money and belongings, have applied for refugee or resident status in Brazil in recent years.

Authorities in Roraima state say that the federal Government needs to do more to help them deal with the growing problems.

Just over a week ago, residents of Pacaraima, a border town in Roraima, hurled rocks at Venezuelans and set fire to their belongings after migrants were blamed for an attack on a local store owner.

Around 1200 were driven back across the border by the violence.

No, Pres Maduro, Venezuelans aren't fleeing to undermine your government. They're fleeing because your corrupt autocracy has undermined Venezuela's economy and democracy. https://t.co/EasvEA4E73 pic.twitter.com/z6CitLnMGY

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) August 29, 2018

But one Venezuelan who has lived in the area since 2015 and now works with an aid agency said that, despite the difficulties, Brazil was still a better option than Venezuela for many.

"We are coming from a country that's very violent right now," Alba Marina said.

Roraima's state government has tried a few times to shut the border to stem the influx, but the federal Government and courts have so far pushed to keep it open.

Since 2014, an estimated 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled their country's growing humanitarian crisis, including shortages of food and medicine, according to the United Nations.

Brazil is sending troops to its northern border to "guarantee law and order" as the migrant crisis in neighbouring Venezuela worsens https://t.co/Pm6xqg3BRg

— CNN International (@cnni) August 29, 2018

Some countries, such as Peru and Colombia, see thousands enter each day, and the stream of migrants has strained the resources of countries around the region.

Peru has declared a 60-day health emergency in two provinces on its northern border, citing "imminent danger" to health and sanitation as a result of the migration crisis.

The decree did not give more details on the risks, but the health authorities have previously expressed concerns about the spread of diseases.

Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's President, has insisted Venezuelans should stop leaving and return to their homeland, which he described as the "country of opportunity".