Brazilians Attack, Burn Migrant Camps Of Venezuelan Refugees

A few weeks ago we discussed the ongoing refugee crisis involving Venezuelans fleeing starvation, disease and violence in their home country. The majority of them have been attempting to travel through Colombia to Ecuador because there are more roads and civilization in general along that route. Some, however, have chosen to take the more dangerous route to the southeast through Brazil, likely heading for Peru and Chile.

Unfortunately, while the government of Brazil is officially calling for peace, many Brazilian citizens are angry about the influx of Venezuelan travelers and have taken to attacking them. One group of Brazilian men in the border town of Pacaraima attacked a group of Venezuelan migrants and set fire to their camp.

(BBC) In Pacaraima on Saturday, several migrant encampments were attacked by angry residents following reports that a local restaurant owner had been badly beaten by Venezuelans.

There has been growing animosity towards the numbers of Venezuelan migrants entering Roraima state in recent months.

Gangs of men carrying stones and sticks set fire to tents and other items belonging to the Venezuelans, and more than 1,000 migrants were said to have fled back across the border.

On the Venezuelan side, there were reports that Brazilian cars had been attacked.

The Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro is demanding that Brazil assure the safety of the refugees and their property. It’s a rather ironic statement when you consider that Maduro’s failing socialist policies and rampant corruption are the only reason his people are desperate enough to flee in the first place. But with rumors spreading among the people on both sides of the border about supposed violence being caused by the other side, things don’t appear to be heading for stability any time soon.

I just can't imagine why anyone would want to flee a Worker's Paradise like Venezuela when no small number of leftists have assured me that Venezuela is a perfect model of economic and social justice!