Defense delegation visits Operation Base Acolhida in Roraima
A committee led by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (CEMCFA), Fleet Admiral Renato Rodrigues de Aguiar Freire, visited on Wednesday (25), the Operation Hosted Base in Boa Vista (RR). The action is responsible for border planning, reception, regularization, and internalization of Venezuelans who enter the country in search of help. Since January 2017, more than 830,000 Venezuelans have entered Brazil. More than 410,000 remain.
Interiorization – Brazil, through Operation Acolhida, has already internalized more than 92,000 Venezuelans. Around 900 municipalities have received citizens from the neighboring country. Curitiba, with almost 6,000, is the city that has received the most, followed by Manaus and São Paulo. The Humanitarian Logistics Task Force Command is attached to the Ministry of Defense.
“Since 2018, uninterruptedly, the Armed Forces have coordinated and maintained, with other public agencies and international entities, this important support,” points out Admiral Aguiar Freire, recalling that, in many cases, the first contact of these Venezuelans with the Brazilian people is through the Brazilian military, which are acting on several fronts, whether in medical and dental care or even in the processes of internalization.
Pacaraima – Also according to the head of EMCFA, this occurs not only in Boa Vista, but also in the city of Pacaraima, near the border. “It is very satisfying to follow this important joint work and to be able to observe the importance of Operation Acolhida in the life of each one of our Venezuelan neighbors who choose, temporarily or permanently, to reside in Brazil,” he adds.
Still in Boa Vista, accompanied by the Ministry of Defense delegation, the head of EMCFA visited the Interiorization Coordination Center (CCI), the Rondon Shelter 5, the Waraotuma and Tuaranoko Indigenous Shelter, the Reception and Support Post (PRA), and the installations of the future Operation Base of the Acolhida.
Operation Acolhida – The humanitarian logistics task force Operation Acolhida is chaired by the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic. The Ministry of Defense provides logistical and operational support, in addition to coordinating the work of the Navy, Army, and Air Force, in the activity that involves the participation of ministries, international organizations, and civil society organizations.
Text and photos: Edwaldo Costa – Special Press Office (Ascom) *** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***