Venezuela Agrees to Legalize Status of Expelled Colombians

In a brief communique datelined Quito, UNASUR said that its Secretary General Ernesto Samper met in New York with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and at the meeting an agreement was reached to legalize the immigration status of expelled Colombians.

The communique gave no more details of the proposal nor about the meeting, except that the Venezuelan government will help those who want to return.

Since Aug. 19, the Venezuelan government has ordered most of the border crossings with Colombia closed, saying that the purpose was to stop contraband and the presence of Colombian paramilitaries on its territory.

More than 20,000 Colombians returned to their homeland during the border crisis, about 2,000 of them expelled by Venezuela and the rest of them voluntarily, according to UN agencies.