LIMA, April 30 (NNN-ANDINA) — Peruvian Foreign Affairs Minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi announced that Peru and Chile have agreed on measures to better control the migratory flow on both countries’ common border.
In remarks to the press, following an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers, Gervasi reminded reporters that a permanent working and dialogue roundtable with Chilean authorities has been established since the beginning of the migratory situation in the south.
“There were constant conversations between our foreign ministries and other authorities; yesterday afternoon, I had a conversation with Chilean foreign minister (Alberto van Klaveren), and we have agreed on measures between our authorities to better control the flow of migrants at our common border,” she explained.
The diplomat announced that it was agreed to establish a technocratic mechanism at the level of both countries’ deputy foreign affairs ministers.
Gervasi said it will serve to address the migratory problem —an issue that is not only temporary but also extends to the regional level.
“Therefore, we will include our counterparts from neighboring countries which face this common phenomenon of irregular migration,” she added.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Jorge Chavez Cresta affirmed that Peru’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has been working to achieve the intervention of Venezuela, with the purpose of allowing the return of its citizens —some of whom are stranded in the Peru-Chile border area.
He reported that he had visited Tacna region on Friday to verify the state of emergency, adding the Armed Forces support the Peruvian National Police to ensure control of domestic order and border surveillance in the face of the migration crisis.
“I think that there is an important action here, in the sense that we must do a job that our Foreign Affairs Ministry is already doing with the ambassador and all the corresponding mechanisms, so that Venezuela accepts, with legitimate right, that its citizens return to their country,” he said in remarks to RPP Noticias.
Cresta specified that the intervention by an important actor in this migratory crisis is sought, as is Venezuela, which must authorize the legitimate right of its citizens “to be allowed to return to their country,” as well as to be able to establish mechanisms —in accordance with international law— with our neighboring countries to solve this migratory crisis.
Similarly, he said “we are in a very critical situation” since national security and defense are being violated.
“We have more than 1.5 million Venezuelans who have entered the country (Peru) legally, while we have more than half a million (who have entered Peru) illegally; that means we are talking about 2 million people,” he affirmed.
Regarding the presence of the Armed Forces in the border area, he explained that this has been taking place in accordance with what is stated by the Security Card approved by Peruvian and Chilean military forces —for example such as being located 100 meters from the limit.
“We rely on 12 observation posts, with Army and the Air Force mobile patrols that were installed in less than 24 hours after the emergency occurred so as to guarantee critical points where irregular entry of migrant citizens was witnessed,” he added. — NNN-ANDINA
