Thousands of Venezuelan migrants cross into Brazil after US strikes

China

Thousands of Venezuelan migrants cross into Brazil after US strikes

2026-01-27 18:43 Last Updated At：20:07

Thousands of Venezuelan migrants have crossed into Brazil following U.S. military strikes in Caracas and other cities earlier this month, local officials said.

On Jan. 3, the U.S. government carried out military attacks on Caracas and other localities in Venezuela, forcibly taking away the presidential couple, resulting in 100 fatalities, according to the official tally.

Over the first 20 days in January, more than 5,000 Venezuelans have crossed into Brazil, according to local government data, as thousands seek safety and better opportunities amid ongoing crises at home.

Since the past decade, about 1.4 million Venezuelans have migrated to Brazil, with more than 70 percent entering through Roraima, whose northern border city of Pacaraima serves as a major gateway for migrants seeking better living conditions. Most arrivals are family units like parents with children or siblings, rarely traveling alone.

"I came with my three family members, they are my nephews. My brother has been in Brazil for a year, and he invited me here to get financially stable, which is what we're really looking for," said a Venezuelan migrant.

"I come from Zaraza, in the state of Guarico, Venezuela, after a journey of approximately two days and one night by bus. We have decided to migrate to a brotherly country like Brazil to pursue a better quality of life," said Jimmy Carapa, another Venezuelan migrant.

Antonio Denarium, the governor of Roraima, said the state has a border of over 2,000 kilometers, making it the second longest border state in Brazil. Following the U.S. military action against Venezuela, the state has been closely monitoring the situation to ensure security.

"Following recent military actions, we have reinforced our security forces on the border with Venezuela, including the military police, the civil police and the public security secretariat. Measures including identity recognition, facial recognition and license plate recognition have been carried out through the surveillance system. Everything at the border will be reported to the federal government, the Ministry of Defense and the president in a timely manner," said Denarium.

In 2018, the Brazilian government launched Operacao Acolhida (Operation Welcome), a humanitarian initiative to assist Venezuelan migrants at the border.

The operation provides registration assistance, CPF (Cadastro de Pessoa Fisica/Individual Tax Payer Registry) numbers, free vaccinations, temporary shelter and food aid.

"Previously, we were receiving around 300 to 350 people per day. Now, that number has dropped slightly to about 200, but we expect it to rise as normalcy returns. The Operation Welcome program is prepared for any increase in migrant flows," said Cintia Miranda, a coordinator of social protection and emergencies at the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger.

China rebukes Japan's UN remarks, urges concrete actions to correct its wrongdoings

A Chinese envoy on Monday urged Japan to face up to its history and correct its mistakes to earn the trust of China and the international community, during an open debate of the United Nations Security Council.

At the debate on "Reaffirming international rule of law: Pathways to reinvigorating peace, justice, and multilateralism," China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Sun Lei strongly refuted the statements by the Japanese side, accusing the Japanese representative of "distorting facts and misleading the public."

Sun stressed that China firmly opposed and rejected such statements and was compelled to respond unequivocally.

Sun pointed out that Japan's statements violated its obligations as a defeated country, as stipulated in the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, while going against the UN Charter's fundamental principles of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. In essence, he said, they seek to negate the outcomes of World War II (WWII) and subvert the post-war international order. The Chinese side emphasized that Japan's aggression during WWII inflicted immense suffering on the people of Asia. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East thoroughly tried and exposed the crimes of Japanese militarism, yet some Japanese politicians and factions continue to deny these crimes and distort historical facts.

Citing Japan's recent actions, Sun said from threatening to use force against China and publicly advocating for nuclear armament, to advancing revisions of the three documents on security and defense and seeking to alter the three non-nuclear principles, Japan's right-wing forces are revealing their attempt to push for re-militarization and a return to military expansion, posing a new threat to regional and global peace, said the Chinese envoy.

"In doing so, Japan is truly stirring up tensions. China will join all peace-loving countries in seeing through Japan's intentions and in jointly defending international rule of law and the hard-won outcomes of World War II. We strongly urge Japan to deeply reflect, sincerely admit and correct its mistakes, and stop crossing the line with provocative actions. Only through concrete actions can Japan earn the trust of China and the international community, " Sun told the Security Council debate.

"China's demands on Japan have always been clear and unequivocal: Face up to its history, reflect and correct is past wrongdoings, retract its erroneous statements, and cease all moves toward neo-militarism. We hope Japan will take real actions, give a responsible account to the Chinese people, and reassure the world," said the envoy.