- Title: Venezuelans fleeing their homeland turn to Colombian shelter for relief
- Date: 27th February 2019
- Summary: CUCUTA, COLOMBIA (FEBRUARY 27, 2019) (REUTERS) YOUNG GIRL LAUGHING IN LINE AFTER RECEIVING FOOD AT SHELTER VARIOUS, PEOPLE - MOSTLY VENEZUELANS - IN LINE, RECEIVING FOOD AT SHELTER ELDERLY VENEZUELAN WOMAN, ELENA GOMEZ, EATING CLOSE, PLATE OF FOOD GOMEZ NEXT TO TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN WOMAN WHO CAME TO COLOMBIA TO FIND MEDICINE AND MEDICAL TREATMENT, ELENA GOMEZ, SAYING: "There was no medicine there (Venezuela), here they are getting them for me. I'm taking medicine because I'm sick, and I want to have an operation on my sight because I'm no longer seeing well, and they don't have that there (Venezuela). It's bad there. We came here to see if there's a solution for my health, because a sick person with no medicine is waiting for death." VARIOUS, PEOPLE AT TABLE EATING VARIOUS, MOTHER FEEDING YOUNG CHILD VARIOUS, VENEZUELAN WOMAN, MARIA SALAS, FEEDING HER SON AND EATING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN WOMAN WHO RECENTLY FLED TO COLOMBIA WITH HER THREE CHILDREN, MARIA SALAS, SAYING: "The situation is difficult because my husband and I come in (cross the Venezuela-Colombia border) to sell and now we can't sell, so it's difficult" PEOPLE AT TABLES AT SHELTER CLOSE, FACE OF YOUNG CHILD RESTING ON SHOULDER OF VENEZUELAN MAN, RANGEL ELIAS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN MAN WHO RECENTLY FLED TO COLOMBIA, RANGEL ELIAS, SAYING: "I feel very sad with the current situation that we Venezuelans are going through. And, I also think that our President Nicolas Maduro's attitude is too erratic, since what we're going through is a violation of human rights. There are many people in crisis, lots of social and economic problems. Venezuelans feel demoralized because of this depressing situation that we're going through. And, we're also thankful for the friendly hand that other nations are giving us." CLOSE, FACE OF BOY EATING SHELTER WORKER HANDING OUT PLATES OF FOOD PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST RECEIVED PLATES FEET OF PEOPLE IN LINE VARIOUS, PEOPLE IN LINE AT SHELTER MAN PUSHING STROLLER MARIA SALAS AND HER SON WALKING AWAY
- Embargoed: 13th March 2019 20:39
- Keywords: immigration emigration economic crisis asylum Venezuela refugees shelter soup kitchen migrants
- Location: CUCUTA, COLOMBIA
- City: CUCUTA, COLOMBIA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001A3D066F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A shelter in the Colombian border city of Cucuta provides some 5,000 meals per day to mostly needy Venezuelans who have fled the economic crisis gripping their country.
People could be seen lined up at the shelter on Wednesday (February 27) as workers loaded plates with rice, meat and vegetables for the Venezuelans.
Elena Gomez came to Colombia from her native Venezuela in search of medicines and medical care that are unavailable back home. "It's bad there. We came here to see if there's a solution for my health, because a sick person with no medicine is waiting for death," she said.
Venezuela's stores lack the most basic foods and medicines. Queues of hundreds and even thousands of people are common.
Residents living next to Venezuela's international borders look at border towns like Cucuta as stable food sources as they cross over to buy and sell goods.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has vowed to work to get aid through the country's borders, despite resistance from President Nicolas Maduro who sees the humanitarian help as a front to overthrow his government.
Amid a hyperinflationary economic collapse that has caused malnutrition and the exodus of millions of people, humanitarian aid has become a flashpoint in an intensifying political crisis.
Guaido invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency on January 23 and denounces Maduro as an usurper. Maduro still retains the support of powerful nations like Russia and China, as well as the key backing of the military.
(Production: Efrain Otero, Patrick Alwine) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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