Colombia Peace Process: Thousands of Venezuelan refugees being reportedly recruited by armed groups

World
Europe

As Colombia continues on the road to reconciliation after half a century of conflict, there's an emerging threat to peace from dissidents who are using the refugee crisis in neighboring Venezuela to their advantage. CGTN's Michelle Begue has our report.

There are growing concerns in Colombia that armed groups here are preying on Venezuelan refugees to grow their ranks. A report by the Venezuela-based NGO Fundaredes says 15 thousand Venezuelans have been recruited by Colombian armed groups operating in the border region.

Among the groups they're reported to be joining is the FARC dissident group, formed by members opposed to the signing of a peace deal in 2016. Evidence of the trend was seen just this week, when defense officials confirmed a Venezuelan woman was among 12 FARC dissidents who turned themselves in to authorities near the Venezuelan border.

CGTN spoke to police officials in the border city of Cucuta. While they said they had not heard of attempts to directly target Venezuelan refugees for recruitment, they said they are very familiar with guerrilla groups' broader efforts to recruit.

JOSE LUIS PALOMINO LOPEZ COMMANDER, METROPOLITAN CUCUTA POLICE "Many times youth [join groups] because of sympathy and are attracted to groups in arms, other reasons are economic needs or because they have nothing to do."

MICHELLE BEGUE CUCUTA, COLOMBIA "This is one of many illegal crossings along Colombia and Venezuela's 22-hundred kilometer border."

According to reports, it is at these clandestine crossings where most Venezuelans are targeted for recruitment.

Of the Venezuelan migrants we spoke to near the border, the ones who would speak on camera, none said they would be open to joining a group.

DAVID MARTINEZ VENEZUELAN MIGRANT "I heard it from Venezuela that they are recruiting boys to join armed groups."

ANDRI LEONARDO VENEZUELAN MIGRANT "I don't like the war and guns, I'm against all that."

LUIS VENEZUELAN MIGRANT "I wouldn't do it because I have a responsibility at home that I need to fulfill."

An estimated 1.3 million Venezuelans have fled to Colombia in recent years, due to the lack of food, medicine and health care in their home country. They arrive in exactly the kind of vulnerable state armed groups look to exploit. It is then up to them to decide-- if fighting a foreign war is worth the risk. Michelle Begue, CGTN, Cucuta, Colombia.