Venezuelan military leave for Colombia

CARACAS, Venezuela — About 1,000 members of the Venezuelan security forces have fled to Colombia since last month, giving up weapons and uniforms as they abandoned the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Colombian authorities said Monday.

Colombia’s foreign ministry released the updated number of Venezuelan police and military personnel who crossed the border, many around the time of a Feb. 23 attempt by opposition leader Juan Guaido to deliver U.s.-provided humanitarian aid to Venezuela. The attempt failed because Venezuelan forces blocked trucks trying to cross from Colombia into Venezuela.

The deserters have received lodging, health care and legal aid, and were accompanied by some

400 family members, Colombian officials said. Colombia, the United States and about 50 other countries support Guaido’s claim that he is the interim president of Venezuela and that Maduro is illegitimate because his re-election last year was marred by irregularities.

The welfare of the Venezuelan deserters, and their families back home, is a growing concern.

Jean Marchena Castillo, an army captain, told local media that pro-maduro forces were threatening relatives of some of those who fled Venezuela. Some deserters say their small military salaries were the only source of income for their families.

Humberto Calderon Berti, Guaido’s representative in Colombia, said he plans to work with Colombian authorities to provide training and employment opportunities to the men.

Diosdado Cabello, a leading pro-maduro politician, said in Caracas on Monday that the security forces who fled to Colombia had been offered bribes to do so. Deserters strongly deny such allegations.

More than 3 million Venezuelans have fled the country in recent years.