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Santos beefs up troops on Venezuela border
The Colombian President blames Nicolas Maduro for a supposed influx of refugees

COLOMBIAN President Juan Manuel Santos announced that more than 2,000 extra troops are to patrol his country’s border with Venezuela, supposedly because a refugee influx is looming.

Speaking in the border city of Cucuta, he said consumer shortages in the neighbouring country — which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blames on US-directed economic warfare — were prompting a stream of illegal immigrants.

“Colombia has never experienced a situation like the one we are encountering today,” Mr Santos said.

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