Crossing Borders for Food

Táchira is in red

Some 500 women in the Venezuelan state of Táchira left their country without authorization in order to buy food in neighboring Colombia, the BBC reports.

Venezuela has been suffering from severe food shortages as the country, previously subsidized by oil sales, struggles financially in the wake of falling oil prices.

Travel between Venezuela and Colombia is typically strict. Venezuela does not want its citizens selling subsidized goods for profit in Colombia.

But the women who crossed the border this week say they weren’t crossing to make money, but to feed their families. “We’re desperate, we have nothing: no cooking oil, no sugar, no rice.”

The women successfully crossed the border, bought food, and returned to Venezuela.

-KitJ