The only official border crossing between Venezuela and Brazil has been closed f...
PACARAIMA, Brazil - The only official border crossing between Venezuela and Brazil has been closed for weeks but just a mile away a steady stream of migrants and smugglers still flows between the countries — for a price.
Many of those using the paths are fleeing their crisis-stricken homeland to seek a better life abroad. Others are simply looking to purchase food, medicine and basic goods unavailable in Venezuela, they said. The migrants interviewed by Reuters said that Venezuelan National Guard soldiers had taken advantage of the border closure to collect 50 reais per car on the parallel crossings. The tariff was higher for vehicles coming back loaded with rice, flour and sugar, they said.
Neither the Venezuelan government nor the National Guard, which runs border controls, replied to requests for comment. Maduro has in the past said that criticism of the military is linked to opposition efforts to tarnish the armed forces. A reservation for the Pemon indigenous tribe that straddles the border is crisscrossed with dirt tracks along which cars, jeeps, vans, pickups and motor bikes ferry migrants to Brazil and return with goods.Two National Guard sergeants, who had recently deserted from their posts at the border, said that bribe taking was systematic there and that military officials would compete to be sent to the lucrative postings.
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