by Bruna Gama
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government announced Monday that they will send volunteers, military and an interministerial commission to tackle the backlash against Venezuelan immigrants in northern Brazil.
Over the weekend, Venezuelan immigrants sheltered in Pacaraima in the state of Roraima were attacked. Pacaraima is the main entry point for tens of thousands of Venezuelans, many of them children.
The attacks were allegedly in retaliation for a Brazilian man having reportedly been robbed and attacked by three Venezuelan immigrants.
Groups organized via social networks went on a rampage in Pacaraima, violently expelled Venezuelans, threatened them and burned the belongings of hundreds of immigrants.
The aggressive actions, including violent attacks and singing Brazilian national anthem, caused more than 1,000 Venezuelans to cross the border back to their country. Many others are believed to have fled to other towns and jungle areas.
According to the Brazilian government, 36 healthcare volunteers will travel to Roraima to tend to the Venezuelan immigrants in partnership with local hospitals, and 120 members of the National Security Force will add to the troops already in the state.
The interministerial commission will head to Roraima to "evaluate possible complementary actions."
Over the past months, the Brazilian government has been moving Venezuelan immigrants from Roraima to other states. However, Roraima still hosts the majority of Venezuelan immigrants, facing related challenges in sectors including public healthcare, education and housing.
The federal government was much criticized for their approach to the immigration crisis. Roraima state accuses the government of not providing enough aid to deal with the big sudden increase of demands from immigrants.
The government however denied any negligence, saying that the "federal authorities have been visiting Roraima since the beginning of the migratory crisis," and the measures such as border planning, screening of immigrants, and house construction have already been taken.
In addition, the Brazilian government is planning a new power transmission line to connect Roraima state to the national grid system, thus ending the state's dependence on Venezuelan energy.
"All measures aim to ensure the security situation and the well-being of the population of Roraima," said Minister of Institutional Security Sergio Etchegoyen.
However, citing the country's immigration law, Etchegoyen excluded the possibility of closing the border. "The closure of the border is unthinkable, it is a solution that does not help the humanitarian issue at all."
On Aug. 6, a local judge in Roraima state ordered a blockade of the Brazil-Venezuela border at the small town of Pacaraima, but the ruling was annulled the following day by the Attorney General's Office.
Brazil's Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann on Aug. 8 said Brazil is a country of immigration and cannot turn its back on the Venezuelan immigrants who are having a rough time.
