Peru Confirms Plans To Tighten Entry Rules For Venezuelans Next Week

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2018) Perus Interior Minister Mauro Medina confirmed Friday that Venezuelans would need passports to enter the country, in an effort to curb the inflow of migrants from the impoverished neighbor.

"Peru will require a passport to be shown by Venezuelan citizens starting at midnight on Saturday, August 25, 2018, to guarantee an orderly and safe entry," he said at a press conference in Lima.

Reports about Perus plans to tighten entry rules came shortly after Ecuador announced that Venezuelans would no longer be able to cross the border with their national ID cards as of Friday.

Economic and social turmoil has gripped Venezuela for years, driving hundreds of thousands to neighboring countries. The exodus led South American nations to distance themselves from the leftist government in Caracas and demand that it address the humanitarian crisis.