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ACNUR Venezuela Quarterly Report | Jan - Mar 2022

Países
Venezuela
+ 2
Fuentes
UNHCR
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SITUATION OVERVIEW

The first quarter of 2022 registered the movement of 3.2 million people across the border between Colombia and Venezuela through the three international bridges linking the state of Tachira to the department of Norte de Santander, along with an emerging trend of increasing returns to Venezuela. The majority of those crossing the border engaged in circular movements between the two countries, seeking vaccines, medical and other services and goods for consumption or commerce.

The border with Brazil was reopened in late February, almost two years after its closure with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing people in mobility to avoid facing the protection risks associated with the use of informal crossing routes. Repatriation flights of the Government airlift scheme Plan Vuelta a la Patria resumed in March after a four-month hiatus, bringing back hundreds of Venezuelans from Peru and Ecuador.

The COVID-19 situation appeared to stabilize, with government figures pointing to a drastic decrease in cases and deaths that observers link mostly to a significant reduction in free-of- charge testing in public health facilities. The Government announced that pupils would be returning to school following the Easter holidays.

In a potentially significant political development, in early March an unprecedented meeting between President Nicolas Maduro and a high-level American delegation took place in the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, leading to speculation that the Government may resume the stalled national dialogue with the opposition and the US may be looking at revising its policy on sanctions against Venezuela.

On the economic front, despite increasing inflationary pressures affecting the purchasing power and food security of a large part of the population, the macroeconomic outlook for the country remained that of a gradual recovery, with estimates for 2022 ranging from a lowly 1.5% growth prediction by the IMF to an eye-watering 20% by Credit Suisse, with most other observers predicting increments of 6 to 10 percent for the year.