Just over a hundred Venezuelan uniformed officers have defected and crossed into Colombia since Saturday, according to migration authorities amid escalating tensions over the frustrated entry of humanitarian aid to Venezuela.
The military and police -whose range has not been specified – entered mostly through the border of Norte de Santander with the Venezuelan state Táchira.
So far, Migración Colombia has served a little over one hundred members of the Armed Forces of Venezuela, who have left their country, escaping Maduro’s dictatorship,”
said Migración Colombia in a statement.
The opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognized as interim president by fifty countries, offered amnesty to the members of the Armed Forces who break with the government of Nicolás Maduro, increasingly clinging to the military to stay in power.
The first defections occurred on Saturday before Guaidó announced from Colombia the exit of aid in trucks with food and medical supplies donated by the United States and its allies.
However, the operation was suspended at the end of the afternoon due the strong blockade imposed by Maduro that led to riots in the borders of Venezuela with Colombia and Brazil.
Christian Krüger, director of the Colombian immigration authority, explained that deserters receive a temporary safe-conduct, while studying case by case to give them refuge.
Venezuela has 365,315 troops and 1.6 million civilian militiamen. Although Maduro faces a hard onslaught, he maintains the loyalty of the military leadership.