Venezuelans Tearful Amid Colombia’s Full Shelves And Polite Cops

[Bacchus4.0]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-18/venezuelans-tearful-amid-colombia-s-full-shelves-and-polite-cops

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The Colombian security forces appeared to have been ordered to wage a charm offensive, smiling and saying “Welcome to Colombia’’ as the Venezuelans streamed past. At least three women burst into tears when they reached the Colombian side, and a man shouted “Viva Colombia’’. Some cursed Maduro’s administration back home which they blamed for reducing them to the point where to buy products as basic as rice they now need to cross an international frontier.

“We were a nation that was super rich, and now look at us,” said Yorcy Exposito, who said she set out from her home in the city of San Cristobal at 4 a.m. “Our government just needs to go, and not come back. They humiliate us.”

Venezuela has been hit by food riots and outbreaks of looting in recent months as shortages worsen. People line up for hours in the tropical heat only to find that the products they want have sold out. By contrast, the Colombian border town of Cucuta seemed a shoppers’ paradise.


Cornucopia

After the border opened at 6 a.m., thousands streamed across dragging empty suitcases that they hoped to fill with produce. As the frontier was only open to foot traffic for a few hours, most immediately boarded buses provided by local authorities and headed to the shops in downtown Cucuta that had opened early for them.