The detection of false apostilles in birth certificates is one of the main causes of Cancellation of Venezuelan IDs in Colombia. This was stated by the lawyer Eduardo Cespedes to the media living border.
Cespedes denounced that since March 2021 citizens have appeared before the National Registry of Colombia to opt for the nationality of that country. However, some hired managers to apostille their documents and, following being verified, it was shown that they did not exist.
For this reason, a significant number of Venezuelans with the right to access said nationality have been affected, especially the children of Colombians in Venezuela. It is estimated that there are around 280,000 Venezuelans.
According to the information, the number of cancellations of identity documents to Venezuelan citizens is at least 42,000 IDs.
“A significant group of Colombo-Venezuelan citizens are today in a state of defenselessness because their identity card was annulled,” said the immigration specialist lawyer.
The cancellation of Venezuelan IDs in Colombia has affected people who arrive at airports to travel to another country and are detained due to the cancellation of their nationality.
Unnecessary arrests following annulment of Venezuelan IDs in Colombia
On the other hand, the Venezuelan lawyer assured that this situation has caused the unnecessary detention of the citizens affected by the cancellation.
As reviewed by living borderthe National Police of Colombia compares the cancellation of the identity card with a crime that does not exist in the legislation of that country, such as identity theft.
“Colombian-Venezuelan citizens are being detained for 48 hours in CAI (Immediate Attention Center), prisons and URI (Immediate Response Unit). They are brought to justice in front of a control judge. And they are persecuted by the prosecution to take them to a process that makes no sense, “said Cespedes.
He explained that, if there is any administrative problem, they cannot prosecute people criminally.
“The most illogical thing is that the Colombian national prosecutors consider that the cancellation of the identity card is equivalent to identity theft. And that crime does not fit there because we are talking regarding a person with the right to nationality, ”he said.
What to do regarding this situation?
The affected persons must go to the registry office to initiate a process that will require legal assistance.
In the first place, “a petition must be made to the registry, requesting the reactivation of the identity card. Once the registry answers, (it is taking between 10 to 20 days), it must correct the error”, explained Eduardo Cespedes.
He indicated that the economic costs will depend on each case. In Venezuela, the process for the apostille and legalization of the Venezuelan identity card is between 250 and 400 dollars.
However, he clarified that the process of restitution of nationality is simple and can be achieved in a period between 30 and 90 days.
