Peru Seeks to Militarize Borders as Venezuelan Migrants Pour From Chile
(Bloomberg) -- Peruvian President Dina Boluarte said on Wednesday she will seek to deploy the military permanently to the country’s borders, amid an influx of Venezuelan migrants coming from nearby Chile.
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The move comes as Chile has imposed significant restrictions on its own undocumented Venezuelan migrant population, declaring that anyone found in the country without papers would be detained. That has prompted some migrants to try to leave Chile and enter Peru through the border the two countries share near the Pacific Ocean.
Boluarte said she had declared a state of emergency in all of Peru’s border regions in response, allowing the military to step in. In addition, she said she would seek to amend the country’s constitution in order to allow a permanent military presence in border areas.
She added Peru will also give amnesty to any migrant who entered the country irregularly, as long as they register with immigration authorities.
About 7 million Venezuelans have left their country due to a longstanding economic crisis, according to the International Monetary Fund. Peru has received the second-largest share, after Colombia, with 1.5 million migrants according to the country’s immigration agency.
--With assistance from Valentina Fuentes.
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