The Colombian Consul in San Cristóbal, David Hadad Clavijo, has stated his concern about the mobilization of unaccompanied children from Colombia into Venezuela.
Anggy Polanco // Correspondent lapatilla.com
According to a verbal report received from the Ombudsman’s Office, at least 32 children that so far have been detected, tried to enter Venezuela from Colombia during the month of September unaccompanied by their legal representatives as reported the Venezuelan authorities.
The Consul recounted a recent incident in which he accompanied the Venezuelan authorities to arrange the return of a child who was detected at the San Cristóbal bus terminal without documentation or companions.
This phenomenon seems to be more pronounced as the month of December nears, and affects both Colombian and Venezuelan children, even though minors of other nationalities have even been detected.
The consul also pointed out that there is a worrying practice in the city of Cúcuta, where they could be selling tickets to minors to cross the border. Although some children travel alone, they are sometimes accompanied by adults who do not appear to be legitimate family members.
The ages of these children range between 7 and 15 years old. Authorities are investigating the reasons behind this child migration and seeking to understand the underlying causes and the possible involvement of criminal networks. It is a delicate issue that requires cooperation between the governments of Colombia and Venezuela to address this scourge and protect vulnerable minors, Hadad pointed out.