Relatives of Colombians imprisoned in Venezuela blocked the Simón Bolívar bridge demanding their release and warning of new closures.
After a day of closures and blockades on the Simón Bolívar international bridge by the relatives of Colombians imprisoned in Venezuelan prisons, the protest ended with a ‘velathon’ and asking for the health and prompt release of their relatives, many of them detained for more than five years by the Nicolás Maduro regime.
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These people made a total closure of the passage through the Simón Bolívar international bridge starting this Friday, December 5 at 6 am, demanding the release of at least 24 nationals who are detained without any process or trial by the authorities of the neighboring country.
They ask for government action to free their relatives
However, despite the actions carried out at the border, they did not achieve a response from the National Government.
“They pushed us off the bridge, where we were asking for the freedom of our relatives. This is not for politics or business, it is for our children, husbands and parents. Their pockets hurt, our hearts hurt, and that’s why we don’t have anyone’s support, because no one feels the pain we have,” they stated.
They added that “they took us away, but when the bridge was closed for five years, they did not come to take away the guards from the bridge.”
During the protest, protesters asked that their relatives be released as soon as possible. “Here we are asking that our relatives be released; 45 days ago they released a first group, we want them to release our family now. They do not owe anything to the justice system of that country. We want us all to be reunited as a family this Christmas,” they expressed.
Although they withdrew from the area, the protesters warned that if they did not find answers from the Foreign Ministry and the Colombian embassy, They will block the other bridges that link Norte de Santander with the Táchira and Zulia states of Venezuela.
“Today we retire to enjoy the day of candlelight with our other relatives, but if they do not give us a quick response, we are going to take the Francisco de Paula Santander and Tienditas (Atanasio Girardot) bridges, because they must give us a response from our relatives,” they said.
For his part, Edwin Colmenares, one of the Colombians who regained freedom a month ago, joined this protest asking President Gustavo Petro to take charge of this situation.
“The president comes to Cúcuta, he meets with Venezuelan businessmen, but he does not show his face to the victims, those of us who have gone through this hell. My friends, my brothers, are still detained there and we demand that they be released as soon as possible,” he said.
In addition, he criticized the silence on the part of Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio, who promised on her last visit to the city of Cúcuta that these people would be with their families as soon as possible. A fact that has not been fulfilled so far.
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Finally, they have requested that there be a presence of delegates from the national government at the border and that the humanitarian work necessary to achieve the release of these people.
Source: Integrated Information System
