In a dramatic statement the mother of one of the Venezuelan migrants returned from Iceland, who was detained by the Venezuelan authorities upon arriving at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, stated her deep concern and demanded answers about the measures taken by Venezuelan authorities.
By Ana C. Guaira Barreto / Correspondent lapatilla.com
These Venezuelans returned to the country after the Icelandic government denied their asylum requests. Another version to which the lapatilla.com team had access states that the recent tremors and the weather complicates their stay in the Nordic country.
Marbelys Ferrer (fictitious name to avoid reprisals by the regime against her family member), who is extremely distressed, recounted how her son decided to voluntarily return to Venezuela after having signed documents and following the procedures established by the International Migration Organization.
She explained that upon arriving at the airport in Maiquetía, her son and 180 other migrants were forced to sign a letter in which they were supposedly accused of ‘treason to the country’ in addition to having received treatment similar to that of deported people.
Ferrer, who currently resides in Iceland, expressed her bewilderment at the measures taken by the authorities of Maduro’s regime, since her son and the other migrants returned from what is considered a first world country, where there is no presence of Covid-19 or yellow fever, and where all the necessary health and safety measures have been implemented.
However, in Venezuela they retained their passports, took photographs and fingerprints, and classified them as ‘repatriated’ even though they made the decision to return to the country voluntarily.
This mother expressed her greatest concern about the situation in which her son and the other migrants found themselves in the ‘Misión Negra Hipólita’ shelter, located in Camurí Chico. According to the reports she received, the place lacked water and was not in conditions to house the people detained by the authorities. This information could not be verified by our team, because entry was restricted at the time of the visit.
Ferrer emphasized the difficulties they faced in leaving Venezuela and the uncertainty generated by the possibility of not being accepted again in Iceland. However, she made it clear that they are willing “to continue fighting for a better life.”
In that sense, she demanded a logical explanation from the Venezuelan authorities about the measures taken and requested the return of the money and currency that was allegedly stolen from them, which represented capital granted by the government of Iceland “to start over in Venezuela.”
Concluding her statement, the mother expressed her hope that her son and the rest of the migrants are well and asked for a prompt response to her formal complaint about the situation they faced upon arriving in her native country, Venezuela.
The other side of the coin
Andrés Goncalves, head of Citizen Security of La Guaira, expressed that all “protocols were being followed.”
According to the information provided by Goncalves to our team, these Venezuelans did not present legal or immigration problems, “we simply did what had to be done.”
At noon this Friday, November 17th, the victims of this new abuse by the regime were allowed to leave the place to reach their destinations in the different states of Venezuela.