UPDATE ON COLOMBIANS EXPELLED FROM VENEZUELA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003535

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/11
TAGS: PHUM PREF PGOV PREL CO VE
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON COLOMBIANS EXPELLED FROM VENEZUELA

REF: BOGOTA 3421; BOGOTA 3527; CARACAS 1517

CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Wells, Political Counselor, Embassy Bogota;
REASON: 1.4(B),(D)

SUMMARY

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1. (C) The Colombian Government (GOC) continues to assist the
nearly 600 Colombian (and 41 Brazilian) gold miners expelled from
Venezuela on November 28. Another 200 Colombians fearing
retaliation have also returned from the area on their own. The GOC
sent a high-level delegation to the border to deliver humanitarian
assistance and has relocated 213 persons to other parts of
Colombia. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is
providing economic assistance to the group with USG funds. The GOC
and international organizations have not been able to substantiate
other reports of massive returns of Colombians from Venezuela in
recent months, but there are concerns that hostile conditions in
Venezuela will force significant returns. Post has strongly
encouraged the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the
Red Cross (ICRC) to investigate and respond to any violations of
international humanitarian law or failure to honor international
obligations by the Venezuelan Government, including speaking out if
necessary. End Summary.



GOC Assisting Expelled Colombians (and Brazilians)

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2. (C) The GOC continues to provide assistance to the nearly 600
Colombian (and 41 Brazilian) gold miners expelled from Venezuela on
November 28 (Ref A). According to the GOC and media reports, the
group had been working without proper migration status in illegal
mines in the Venezuelan state of Amazonas when the Venezuelan
National Guard suddenly descended on the remote area and forced the
miners and their families to return to Colombia (Ref B). Juan
Pablo Franco, the director of the GOC's assistance programs for
internally displaced persons (IDPs),told Post's Regional Refugee
Coordinator (Refcoord) that some in the group had reported
suffering harsh labor conditions and exploitation while working in
Venezuela. In the past two weeks, another 200 Colombians fearing
retaliation have also returned from the area on their own.




3. (U) On December 4, the GOC sent a high-level delegation, with
representatives from the President's Office, the Ministry of
Defense, and the National Ombudsman's Office, to Puerto Inirida in
Colombia's Guainia Department to deliver humanitarian assistance to
the group. The GOC has provided transportation to 213 persons to
return to other parts of the country. At the GOC's request, the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) is providing
economic assistance to the group (including the Brazilians) with
resources from USAID. Each person is receiving the approximate
equivalent of USD $300 to cover immediate needs. The other 600
persons who did not relocate are currently staying in shelters in
Puerto Inirida and plan to remain in the area, according to IOM.




4. (C) Christophe Beney, the ICRC Colombia head of delegation, told
Refcoord that the GOC had also requested that the Colombian Red
Cross provide assistance to the group in Colombia and to those
still in Venezuela. Media reports indicated that approximately
1,000 other persons working in the mines escaped Venezuelan
authorities and remained in the area. Beney said that helping the
group in Colombia was not an issue, but it was highly unlikely the
Colombian Red Cross would receive permission from the Venezuelan

Government (GBRV) to cross the border to provide aid. He added
that the Venezuelan Red Cross was weak and not in a position to
provide any help. The two ICRC delegates in Venezuela are
monitoring the situation, but have limited capacity to cover the
entire 1375-mile shared border. Beney stressed that the rights of
Colombians in Venezuela should be respected, but he does not see a
role of intervention for the ICRC in respect to the particular case
of the expelled miners.



Other Reports of Colombians Returning En Masse

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5. (C) As for a recent report from the Colombian Ombudsman's Office
that 7,000 Colombians had returned from Venezuela due to threats in
recent months, Franco confirmed that Accion Social, the GOC's
coordinating agency for humanitarian assistance, had followed-up
with national and local government offices, international
organizations, and other local NGO contacts on the
Colombia-Venezuela border and could not detect a large increase in
returns. Franco said that individual returns continued as normal,
but a sharp increase in Colombians coming back had not been
detected. Accion Social is planning to visit the area again in the
coming weeks to work with local authorities on contingency plans
for increased returns given tense conditions on the border and
reports of growing hostility toward Colombians in Venezuela.




6. (C) UNHCR reported that it also was unable to detect a large
increase in returns after conducting field visits and consulting
with its network of local partners in the border area. Jean Noel
Wetterwald, the UNHCR Colombia country representative, told
Refcoord that the international protection/ refugee recognition
process in Venezuela was bad before, but has not gotten
significantly worse recently. Wetterwald stressed that the
situation could quickly change and more Colombians could return if
they felt harassed and unprotected. IOM also reported that it was
unable to confirm the 7,000 figure or to identify an increase in
returns. UNHCR and IOM continue to actively monitor the situation
from both sides of the border.



IOs Encouraged to Respond

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7. (SBU) Post has strongly encouraged UNHCR and ICRC to investigate
and respond to any violations of international humanitarian law or
failure to honor international obligations by the GBRV, including
speaking out if necessary. We continue to work with the GOC and
international organizations to ensure assistance and protection are
provided.
NICHOLS