- Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport has been the immigration checkpoint where most departures have been recorded, with 1,545 people | Main photo: EFE
Migración Colombia reported that more than 5,200 Venezuelans traveled to Venezuela between July 20 and 27, on the occasion of the presidential elections that will take place on Sunday, July 28.
Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport has been the immigration checkpoint where the highest number of departures have been recorded, with 1,545 people, followed by the Atanasio Girardot International Bridge, in the city of Cúcuta, Norte de Santander department, with 852 people.
The Venezuelan government announced the closure of land borders from July 26 due to Sunday’s elections, something that has led to a desert environment on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, where the closure took hundreds of people by surprise.
The EFE news agency reported that of the more than 2.8 million citizens from Venezuela living in Colombia, only 7,012 are eligible to exercise their right to vote in that country on Sunday, July 28.
The head of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Aime Nogal, indicated on July 24 on her social network X account that the voting center located in the city of Bogotá was reassigned to the street to the “Palermo” Technical School, located in the Teusaquillo neighborhood. The address of this educational center is: Carrera 23, number 49-37.
How many Venezuelans were able to register abroad?
Of the more than 7.7 million Venezuelan migrants living abroad, only 69,189 are eligible to vote in these elections at Venezuelan consular offices around the world. In addition, only 6,528 were able to register for the first time or change their voting center abroad.
Mariluz Palma Colmenares, coordinator of the Vente Venezuela political movement campaign in Colombia, said that due to the obstacles that Venezuelans had to face in updating their data in the RE in that country, many decided to travel to be able to exercise their right to vote.
“We are not going to have a massive number of Venezuelans (returning to vote in Venezuela), but one vote counts. (…) If they prevent you from registering, you have to find a way to cast your vote and thousands of Venezuelans set out on the path of hope to return and cast their vote,” Palma said on July 24 at a press conference.
Mauricio Baquero, political coordinator of Vente Venezuela, explained that, given the government’s requirement of “impossible” or “non-existent” documents to register in the RE, many citizens have returned to the country to participate in the electoral process.
“We all know that it has been difficult to leave the country and leave behind family, property, and dreams. We have made efforts, we have launched a campaign, we have sent buses to Venezuela, obviously to the border, and from there they take their way to be able to reach their meeting place,” said Baquero.
The demands of Venezuelans in Spain
Estefania Parra Anselmi, who is a member of the opposition’s Command with Venezuela in Spain, stated on July 23 that In that country there are between 600 thousand and 800 thousand people of voting age.He added that most of them were unable to register their data due to the demands made on them by the consular offices.
Of the total number of Venezuelans residing in Spain, 24,770 voters are eligible to exercise their right to vote. Madrid is the city with the majority of this registry, with more than 9,000 citizens eligible to vote. Recently, Venezuelans residing in Madrid reported that they did not have information about the place assigned as a voting center.
Representatives of organizations opposed to the government of Nicolás Maduro denounced on July 23 that Venezuelans in Madrid had no information about where they would be able to vote in the presidential elections on July 28.
Dozens of Venezuelans gathered outside the Venezuelan Consulate in Madrid on July 23 to demand information about the voting process. María Gabriela Olavarría, a member of the opposition’s Command with Venezuela in Spain, told the media that they received a call from the Consulate to meet in the next few hours to learn details of how the electoral process will be carried out in the Spanish capital.
With information from EFE
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2024-07-27 22:41:06