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Venezuela

Venezuelan Crisis Deepens Troubles Along Colombia's Border

Venezuelans last month arriving near the border with Colombia.
Venezuelans last month arriving near the border with Colombia.

-Editorial-

BOGOTÁ — As the world recently watched humanitarian supply trucks burn on a bridge between the Colombian town of Cúcuta and the Venezuelan border, locals anxiously wondered if aid would ever arrive in a region plagued with years of economic crisis.

Colombian Attorney General Fernando Carrillo echoed these sentiments after visiting Cúcuta and meeting with organizations working in the Catatumbo area of the Colombian border region of Norte de Santander. He told the local daily La Opinión that Norte de Santander needs "an emergency plan to face this avalanche, which will have humanitarian consequences... the national government must become more involved in resolving the social and economic problems that are just starting to be visible in this zone."

And yet, the situation is not new. Norte de Santander, like all border areas, has suffered since relations with Venezuela began to fracture and the country's economy entered into crisis. The government of Colombia's former president Álvaro Uribe issued social emergency decrees last decade as a bid to remedy the situation, yet they were palliative at best and did not address the background causes.

The situation is deteriorating by the day.

Norte de Santander has serious problems with black market employment (70.6% of people in Cúcuta work informally— the highest rate among mid-sized and larger cities), organized crime, drug trafficking, guerrillas (the Marxist ELN and EPL), corruption and high rates of petty crime.

When discussing efforts to help rebuild Venezuela, the Colombian government and parliament would do well to first start rebuilding our country's border regions. Local economies based on decades of co-dependence between Venezuela and Colombia cannot be rebooted with sporadic investments. Carrillo is right to call for an in-depth analysis of "the region's future in the face of so many social and economic threats affecting its stability." This cannot just be done by local politicians repeatedly stating their concerns about systematic neglect from the central government.

Norte de Santander is a crucial area in the post-conflict period of our country, but so far the state has failed to curtail violence in Catatumbo. It is also a key zone for integrating Venezuelan migrants, many of whom have settled in districts and villages where the employment levels are already precarious. The situation is deteriorating by the day with no solutions in sight. The crisis across the border is shining a light on a part of Colombia that can no longer be left to slip out of control.

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Green

Moose In Our Midst: How Poland's Wildlife Preservation Worked A Bit Too Well

Wild moose have been spotted on Polish beaches and even near cities. They're a rare example of successful conservation efforts, but they're increasingly coming into contact with people.

Photo of a moose crossing a road

Moose seen in Poland

Joanna Wisniowska

GDANSK — Images of wild moose roaming the streets and beaches of Poland’s Baltic coast have been cropping up online more frequently. What should someone do if they encounter one? According to Mateusz Ciechanowski, a biologist at the University of Gdansk, the best option is to leave them alone.

“This is the result of the consistent protection that has been provided to this species of moose,” said Ciechanowski. “As the numbers increase, so does the animals’ range”.

Various media outlets have been publishing reports about spotted wild moose in the cities of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot with increasing frequency. Perhaps more surprising is that these moose have been seen on beaches as well.

Centuries ago, moose could be found all over the European continent. But, like the European bison, they were often hunted for their value as an attractive game animal.

Aside from population declines due to hunting, the drainage of European wetlands also decreased the number of viable moose habitats. The animals, which prefer marshy areas, dwindled without the proper natural environment to flourish in.

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