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Temer, Pence discuss Venezuela, Brazilian kids separated at US border
BRASILIA, June 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Brazilian President Michel Temer and
US Vice President Mike Pence discussed Tuesday the fate of Brazilian children
stranded at America’s southern border and Venezuela’s deepening crisis.
“I pointed out that our government is ready to help transport Brazilian
children back to Brazil, if that is the wish of their families, the
authorities of both countries will continue to be in touch with this issue,”
Temer told reporters.
About 50 Brazilian children are staying at shelters in the United States,
after being separated from their parents at the US-Mexican border.
When the United States briefly implemented “zero tolerance” on illegal
immigration, more than 2,000 children — mostly Central Americans — were
separated from their parents.
They remain in the care of the Department of Health and Human Services in
several shelters.
“This is an extremely sensitive issue for the Brazilian society and
government, and I asked (Pence) for his special attention to ensure the quick
reunion of the families,” said Temer, who thanked the US vice president’s
“willingness” to cooperate.
Pence said that “we are working to reunite families, including Brazilian
families, who’ve been caught up in this wave of illegal immigration.”
“The United States of America is the most welcoming home for immigrants in
human history,” he insisted.
But Pence said that those unprepared to come legally should stay home.
Turning his attention to neighboring Venezuela, the US vice president
urged Brazil to support “stronger action” to isolate the government of
leftist President Nicolas Maduro.
“As long as Maduro denies democracy and basic rights to his people,
Venezuela will continue to crumble, and the Venezuelan people will continue
to suffer,” he added.
He highlighted Brazil’s support for the economic sanctions against Caracas
and welcomed the European Union’s decision to sanction Venezuelan Vice
President Delcy Rodriguez.
Pence travels Tuesday to the northern city of Manaus to visit a shelter
for Venezuelans. Thousands have arrived in recent years to the state capital
Amazonas, almost 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the border with Venezuela.
More than 32,000 Venezuelans have sought asylum in Brazil and thousands of
others temporary residency in the last three years. The trend is on the rise
as the social, economic and political crisis in the neighboring country has
grown increasingly stark.
BSS/AFP/HR/1005