Headline: Chaos at Paraguachón Border: Venezuelan Migrants Stranded Due to Saime System Failure
Article:
Paraguachón, Colombia – The situation at the Paraguachón border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela has deteriorated due to operational issues with the Venezuelan immigration system, the Servicio Administrativo de Identificación, Migración y Extranjería (Saime). Since early morning, numerous travelers seeking to enter or exit Venezuela are facing long queues and growing uncertainty as they are unable to complete their migration document stamping.
Saime recently adjusted the cost of express passports, but this comes as little comfort to the stranded travelers. Eyewitnesses report that the Saime system is down, halting all migration processes entirely. A bus driver covering the Maracaibo-Maicao route commented, "Nobody’s getting through. I have a passenger who hasn’t been able to get his migration stamp to travel to Colombia. There are long lines, and the migration door is closed."
The latest development in this chaotic scenario was the temporary closure of the main migration door, leaving a significant number of people stuck, including those with urgent travel needs and no concrete solutions in sight.
Impact on Mobility and Traveler Rights
The closure not only affects frequent travelers but also traders and families who rely on mobility between the two countries. A young woman, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed her concern: "I’m worried because my mother has been traveling from the United States and hasn’t been able to enter. She’s an elderly person, and the migration authorities haven’t provided any information about the problem."
Travelers have urgently called on Venezuelan authorities to resolve the technical Saime issue and immediately restore migration processes. They also demand provisional alternatives to safeguard the right to mobility and prevent the situation from escalating further.
Paraguachón, historically an essential exchange hub between the two countries, continues to reflect the region’s challenges in infrastructure and migration management.
