In recent weeks, hundreds of migrants — mostly Venezuelans but also Colombians and Haitians — have been trying to leave Chile and enter Peru because Chile has toughened its immigration policies.
Peru’s interior minister has stated that only those with proper documentation will be allowed in. The rest have remained stuck on the border between the two countries, enduring the desert’s inclement weather. Some of the migrants have engaged in confrontations with the police.
In response, the Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency at most of its border crossings in order for the armed forces to support the police.
The Chilean government ordered the militarization of its northern border in February to prevent more migrants from illegally entering the country.
Cortez commented on the fact that some resource-rich countries such as Venezuela create conditions that force their inhabitants to emigrate.
“The Holy Father Francis and also his predecessors have pointed out one thing, one extreme, one reality: When a situation is polarized and an attempt is made to resolve it through ideological inspirations, whether from the left or the right, the central point is lost, the person as such, his inalienable dignity that cannot be manipulated either,” the bishop said.