:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/BC6OPYBQRRHUPNRYIHVUBOB77U.jpg "18 buses with 600 Venezuelan migrants were detained on the road that connects Bucaramanga with Barrancabermeja")
The incident occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, December 10, on the road that connects Bucaramanga with Barrancabermeja in Santander. The 18 buses were parked for several hours in the sector known as La Lizama between Barrancabermeja and Bucaramanga.
Initially, the situation was reported on social networks by drivers crossing the Santander highway. Through a video dozens of people are seen sitting on the side of the road claiming bus luggage while the Police carry out document reviews and talk with citizens:
#VIDEO | Drivers denounce the massive arrival of Venezuelans to the department of Santander during the month of December. The Bucaramanga – Barrancabermeja road gives an account of the critical situation. pic.twitter.com/VBCwLHivWq
– RCN RadioBucaramanga (@RCNbucaramanga) December 11, 2020
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According to the Commander of the Bucaramanga Metropolitan Police, General Luis García, 18 buses that came from Cúcuta with at least 600 Venezuelan migrants were immobilized at the height of the La Lizama district near the Hidrosogamoso dam.
Police uniforms carried out documentation checks on the road, as they noticed that many of the citizens of the neighboring country did not present the documentation required by Migración Colombia to be able to circulate within Colombia.
When they saw the police controls, most of the people who were traveling on the buses descended into the Sogamoso River to walk towards Barrancabermeja. This was confirmed by General Luis García in statements to RCN News:
At the height of the Sogamoso River tollbooth, people descended. At least 540 of them returned on foot to Barrancabermeja. The rest of the people (60) were accompanied by the Traffic and Transportation Section in 18 buses bound for Cúcuta
The Police in charge of carrying out the road controls immediately warned Migration Colombia of the situation. Escorted by members of the Public Force and officials of the body attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 60 Venezuelan citizens were transferred to north-east Santander in the border area with Venezuela to be returned to their country, from which they would have fled due to the serious needs they face with the regime of Nicolás Maduro:
#The last | Colombian Migration escorts, together with the National Police, hundreds of Venezuelans back to Cúcuta, after authorities prevented their passage through the La Lizama sector, on the Barrancabermeja – Bucaramanga road. pic.twitter.com/pXp6va9Kcy
– Link Television (@Enlace_TV) December 11, 2020
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In addition, the authorities determined that many of the buses did not have the mobility permits required to provide the inter-municipal transport service. Apparently the Venezuelan migrants would have hired a bus transportation service from Cúcuta to be later transferred to Barrancabermeja through promises and trips that would eventually take them to the south of the country or to Ecuador.
For its part, Migración Colombia reported that, in effect, the motor vehicles were destined for Ecuador. In the police operation it was necessary to carry out a process of identification and attention to travelers with the help of the agency. A source from Migración Colombia confirmed the information to El Tiempo Bucaramanga:
The group of Venezuelans affirmed that they were going to Ecuador but could not allow themselves to advance because the border is closed. Ecuador is not allowing the entry of foreigners
Victims of multiple scams, citizens of the neighboring country told Colombian authorities that they had paid around 300.000 pesos to be transported by land to Ecuador.
While the legal situation of the migrants was being resolved, several of them decided to spend the night on the buses, while others chose to walk back to Cúcuta or get to Bucaramanga.
Meanwhile, the authorities are investigating what happened to verify if Venezuelans were actually scammed by a legally constituted tourism company or not, taking into account that the transport companies to which these buses are affiliated will be sanctioned and the drivers could be prosecuted for the crime of migrant smuggling.
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