Colombia Tightens Border Controls as Venezuelan Exodus Grows
- President Santos deploying over 2,000 troops to patrol borders
- Almost 96,000 Venezuelans crossed into Colombia in November
People stand on line to show customs identification documents from Venezuela to enter into Cucuta, Colombia, on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017.
Photographer: Nicolo Filippo Rosso/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced a tightening of immigration controls as thousands of Venezuelans continue to pour over the border to escape a dire economic crisis and an increasingly authoritarian government.
Effective immediately, Colombia will cease to issue new migratory cards, which allow Venezuelans to cross the border freely without passing customs. Only existing card holders or those with valid passports will be able to enter Colombia, Santos said on Thursday in the frontier city of Cucuta, which has become a hub for migrants fleeing Venezuela.