After the reestablishment of relations between Bogotá and Caracas, the opening of the Colombian consulates has been a pending issue. Of the 14 that existed in Venezuela, So far only San Antonio del Táchira has opened in its entirety, Caracas has already begun partial service and Maracaibo will open this Tuesday.
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EL TIEMPO spoke exclusively with the consul general in Caracas, ambassador Fulvia Benavides, who said that work is being done to care for Colombian citizens in the neighboring country. She acknowledged that the process has been slow but she stressed that there has been progress.
This consulate is located in the Chacaito area, a fairly busy and accessible area, but the headquarters – which is its own – deteriorated with the absence of the diplomatic delegation.after the expulsion by the government of Venezuela. It was more than four years.
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The facilities have been partially reconditioned, it now has security and four officials are working and have already begun to serve the public. According to the statistics offered by the consul, in August 968 requests were received and responded to via email ccaracas@cancillería.gov.co.
Officials at the Caracas consulate
In person, The officials treated 672 people and are providing proof of life, this because it is the only free documentthe rest has a cost and that is when complications arise for the total operation of the consulate, because Venezuela, being suspended from the international financial system, payments cannot be made.
In June, 239 people were assisted and in July 322, all in person.
For Benavides, this has been an important “obstacle”, since “How to adapt the payment system to process documents?” He says in the middle of the conversation in which the other three officials were present.
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To this question, Benavides answers that Colombia is adapting a process to make these payments through a QR code that allows the transactionIn San Antonio it has already been done but in the case of Caracas it has been even more complicated, just last week five registration machines arrived, and during this conversation, the technicians were observed installing the equipment.
![New equipment](https://www.eltiempo.com/files/article_content_new/uploads/2023/09/11/64ff5f9990151.jpeg)
For this meeting, recording of the conversation was not allowed, however, the official explained in detail some of the impediments that have generated the delays since her arrival in Caracas in March when she was inaugurated.
In addition to the issue of transactions, hiring suppliers for general repairs of the structure has also been complicated due to the international sanctions that weigh on Venezuela. Repairing the air conditioning, for example, in addition to being expensive, requires reviews and protocols to avoid problems with international banks.
“In this headquarters there were even mannequins,” says Benavides, alluding that the consulate became a warehouse where all the material, furniture and other items from the other diplomatic headquarters arrived.
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Also Some identity cards have been delivered and processed at border posts. that were enabled by the breakdown of relationships. “Yes, we are working,” said the consul.
The attention in the prisons of Caracas has been another of the efforts undertaken by the delegation. Even this Monday they would visit a penitentiary center. According to the report, to date they have learned of the situation of 46 prisoners.
The ideal is that once the registration machines are fully operational, other procedures will begin to be carried out but by appointment, since they only have five machines. This is also after the QR code system is adapted.
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At the moment, passports, apostille, and other procedures that require payments will have to wait for all adjustments.
ANA MARÍA RODRÍGUEZ BRAZÓN
TIME CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
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