Xenophobia in Chile: the Venezuelan government offers to repatriate attacked immigrants | After the violent weekend demonstrations

After the xenophobic mobilization that a sector of the Chilean population led in the city of Iquique, the government of Venezuela has offered to repatriate immigrants from that country who have been discriminated against, attacked and assaulted during this event.

This was announced by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry during the communication that it was advancing the procedures with the Chilean authorities with the aim of “Repatriate nationals and victims of xenophobic attacks, in accordance with the instructions of President Nicolás Maduro. “

The decision made public by the Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Félix Plasencia, is the formal response of the Bolivarian government after the march which took place last Saturday in Iquique against immigration.

The mobilization in this city in northern Chile began with a request to the authorities to “protect” the Chileans from what they call “illegal immigration”, degenerated into insults and ended with the burning of the property of foreigners.

The repudiation of Maduro and Piñera

The government of Nicolas maduro immediately came out to condemn these facts while that of Sebastien Piñera He only did so when foreign criticism began to resonate. As recently as Monday, during his visit to Uruguay and Paraguay, the Chilean “categorically condemned the brutal aggression that an uncontrolled mob” committed on the migrants.

However, he clarified: “We fulfill the commitment to tidy our house, promote legal, orderly and safe migration that protects the rights of migrants who are often abused by human trafficking gangs and which also protects the rights of Chileans“.

The “Plan Vuelta a la Patria”, from Venezuela

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government announced the launch of the Back to the Fatherland Plan guarantee the safe return of all Venezuelan migrants to Chile who so wish.

“They have a country that welcomes and loves them”, was the message Maduro sent to those attacked. “Venezuela is a host country for migrants, there was no persecution or ill-treatment against foreigners who decided to come to our country, we treated them with love, we never have them persecuted, ”he said.

Last Sunday, the Venezuelan vice-president, Delcy Rodriguez, demanded that the Chilean authorities respect the physical integrity of Venezuelan migrants.

“Venezuela rejects xenophobia and attacks against Venezuelan migrants and demands that national and local authorities in Chile respect the physical and psychological integrity of our fellow citizens,” Rodríguez wrote on Twitter.

Even the former Bolivian president Evo Morales joins the repudiation of acts of xenophobia against migrants. “We repudiate acts of xenophobia and discrimination experienced in #Iquique, #Chile against migrant families who seek to save their lives from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and savage capitalism. Humanity needs solidarity in the face of adversity, ”he said on Twitter.