More than 140 thousand Venezuelans have entered Chile between January and July of 2018

A total of 147,429 Venezuelans entered Chile between January 1 and July 31, 2018, which adds to another 177,347 that did so during the past year, according to data from the Investigative Police (PDI) published on Monday by the La Tercera newspaper.

These figures, totaling 324,776 people, place Chile, according to the publication, as the fourth destination in South America, after Colombia (800,000), Peru (400,000) and Ecuador (250,000), chosen by Venezuelans who have left their country in the frame of the crisis that affects, that add 2.3 million according to data of the UN.

Visa of “democratic responsibility” has been requested by 64,932 Venezuelans

In the framework of the migration policy established last April by the government of President Sebastián Piñera in Chile with the purpose of legalizing irregular immigrants, for Venezuelans a “democratic responsibility visa” was established, which considered “the serious democratic crisis the one that currently crosses Venezuela “.

Since then the document has been requested by 64,932 Venezuelans, of whom 9,626 have received it and there are another 42,000 in process.

According to the Undersecretary of the Interior, Rodrigo Ubilla, Chile “went ahead to the countries of South America in the application of the visa”, and despite being accused of “emigrating”.

“We monitor their permanent evolution, but to date the application of restrictions has not been used,” said Ubilla, asked about the possible application of restrictions such as those announced in Ecuador and Peru, with the requirement of a passport.

Francisca Vargas, director of the Immigrant Law Clinic of the Alberto Hurtado University, explained that many Venezuelans do not have access to a document or identity document, which seriously affects children, therefore, they can access the ID card. nine years.

Sources from the Chilean Foreign Ministry assured that the system for the delivery of the special visa, which Venezuelans had to request in their country, that worked as scheduled and that the number of requests “is important”, in the context of the crisis that lives Venezuela.

They also assured that the procedures are being evaluated permanently in order to improve them.