Through a statement issued by the Foreign MinistryVenezuela regretted the overwhelming of migrants in Texas and expressed its solidarity with the victims and relatives, while faced with the loss of life of compatriots, it called for clarification of the facts.
In the text, the country “expresses its deepest regret for the tragic event that occurred in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, in the United States of America, where the driver of a vehicle ran over a group of migrants, leaving the painful balance of at least 7 people dead and multiple injuries, some of Venezuelan nationality according to preliminary reports”, reads part of the text released by Foreign Minister Iván Gil on his account on the social network Twitter.
“The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela regrets the tragic event in the border city of Brownsville, in the US, where a group of migrants were victims, including Venezuelans. We call for clarification of the facts and we reiterate our solidarity,” the Foreign Minister published along with the attached document.
In the text, it is requested to clarify the facts surrounding the event “in order to rule out any intention related to the practices of hate and xenophobia against the Venezuelan people that have been expressed in the past, product of a culture of violence and intolerance promoted by extremist sectors of American politics and society.
Likewise, along the lines of the document, the Venezuelan Government extends its condolences to relatives and relatives of the victims of the unfortunate event.
Most of the victims are Venezuelans.
Most of the seven killed by hit-and-run in front of a center for the homeless in Brownsville, in the state of Texas (USA), which currently also serves to house immigrants, are of Venezuelan nationality, according to the director of the shelter, Víctor Maldonado.
The person in charge of the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center pointed out in statements collected by local media that most of the victims were Venezuelan men, an incident in which six other people were injured, although he did not specify whether the latter also came from the South American country.
“What we see on the video is that a Range Rover went through a light about a hundred feet away and hit people who were sitting at the bus stop,” Maldonado said.
The media indicates that the Centro Obispo Enrique San Pedro Ozanam shelter is the only one that operates at night in the city of Brownsville and manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody.
They also point out that the Venezuelan community of Brownsville reported that it is preparing a vigil for the immigrants killed in this outrage, which will be held this Monday, May 8, at 10:00 a.m. local time (3:00 p.m. GMT) on Minnesota Avenue, where the incident occurred.
Statement on events in Texas
The full text of the statement issued by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry is reproduced below:
“The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expresses its deepest regret for the tragic event that occurred in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, in the United States of America, where the driver of a vehicle ran over a group of migrants, leaving the painful balance of at least 7 people dead and multiple injuries, some of Venezuelan nationality according to preliminary reports.
In light of this painful episode and the loss of life of compatriots, Venezuela urges the corresponding US authorities to thoroughly investigate the events and clarify their causes, in order to rule out any intentions related to hate and xenophobic practices against the Venezuelan people who have expressed themselves in the past, product of a culture of violence and intolerance promoted by extremist sectors of US politics and society.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela extends its sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.”
