Image copyright AFP Image caption More than two million Venezuelans have left the country since 2014

Eleven Latin American countries say that they have agreed to allow Venezuelans leaving their homeland to enter their countries even if their travel documents have expired.

More than 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the country's hyperinflation and severe shortages.

But many do not have valid passports because renewing them can take years.

The move will come as a relief to those who say they were trapped in Venezuela due to their lack of papers.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly mocked those who leave, saying they "fall for propaganda only to leave and clean toilets in Miami".

The announcement was made after a two-day meeting of migration officials from Latin America in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito.

Eleven of the countries represented signed a joint declaration in which they also called on the Venezuelan government to speed up the process of issuing passports.

$5,000 passport

Venezuelans have long complained about how difficult it is to get hold of passports and other official documents such as birth and marriage certificates and ID cards.

Many have reported being asked for bribes up to $1,000 (£780) for a passport which could rise to $5,000 if the applicant had urgent reasons to leave, such as wanting to visit a sick family member abroad.

The government has blamed shortages of paper and "mafias" inside the registry service, known as Saime, for the delays.

In June, four Saime officials were arrested for extortion and a new director of the service was named in July. But with tens of thousands of Venezuelans wanting to leave, the queues remain long.

The countries which will allow Venezuelans to enter with expired papers are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

The Latin American countries which have seen the biggest influx say they have been struggling to deal with the high numbers of Venezuelans crossing into their territory.

Last month, Ecuador started demanding Venezuelans show valid passports at the border, a measure which was later overturned by a court because it contravened a regional agreement on free travel.

Peru followed suit but children, pregnant women and children remained exempt from the requirement. Thousands of Venezuelans rushed to Peru's northern border to enter the country before the measure came into effect.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The Venezuelans are fleeing their country's political and economic crises

The Venezuelan government has denied there is a migration crisis and said "enemy countries" had inflated the number of those leaving to justify an invasion.</s>Latin American ministers met Monday to end the massive Venezuelan migrant crisis that has jolted the region, as Venezuela's government accused the United Nations of exaggerating the situation to justify "international intervention."

The delegates from 13 regional nations were seeking outside funding as they discussed in Quito a common solution to regularize the situation of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who have migrated due to a situation whose very existence Caracas denies.

Venezuelans who immigrate "are highly vulnerable to human trafficking, the smuggling of migrants, labor exploitation, lack of access to social security, extortion, violence, sexual abuse, recruitment for criminal activities, discrimination and xenophobia," said Ecuadoran Deputy Foreign Minister Andres Teran.

The two-day meeting in Quito precedes extraordinary talks at the Organization of American States set to begin Wednesday to discuss the same issue.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said the government had complained to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that "individual officials" have been portraying "a normal migratory flow as a humanitarian crisis to justify an intervention."

The UN says 1.6 million Venezuelans since 2015 have fled economic meltdown in the country, which has been hit by shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine.

Venezuela is in a fourth year of recession while the International Monetary Fund has predicted inflation in the South American country will reach one million percent this year.

The flood of migrants abandoning their country to seek a better life elsewhere has left countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru creaking under the strain.

In addition to discussing a common regulatory framework, Latin American nations are seeking to show the impact that the massive arrival of migrants has on various countries' finances.

Argentina's envoy Dario Giustozzi stressed the need to "unify" document requirements for Venezuelans, who depending on the nation must present a certificate, passport or visa.

The delegates from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic and Uruguay are scheduled to issue a joint statement on Tuesday.

The UN's representative in Ecuador, Arnaud Peral, celebrated the regional effort and urged international donors to continue contributing.

The United States, a fierce critic of Nicolas Maduro's government, has already disbursed aid to Colombia and Brazil to handle the Venezuelan influx, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced last week European funding of 35 million euros ($40 million).

Most Venezuelan migrants have traveled to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, but only Colombia has temporarily regularized some 820,000 Venezuelans.

With the exception of Bolivia and Nicaragua, most governments in the region reject the Maduro government as a dictatorship and blame it for the crisis.

At the same time, countries like Colombia are seeking greater international pressure to make way for a democratic transition.

Speaking at a press conference, Rodriguez said UN officials had been using data from "enemy countries" and presenting it "as if it was their own."

Rodriguez didn't identify who those officials or enemy states were, though.

"The worst humanitarian crisis the world is going through right now is that cause by NATO and European Union countries in Africa and the Middle East," added Rodriguez, who called on top EU diplomat Federica Mogherini to stamp out "fake news."

She pointed to a new UN report that stated nearly 1,600 migrants had died or gone missing in 2018 on "the way to Europe."

Rodriguez branded neighboring Colombia "pimps" and claimed it is seeking international funds in order to use Venezuela to "live" off donations.

But Colombian President Ivan Duque, who will host his US counterpart Donald Trump in November, advocated for a strategy to "diplomatically isolate Maduro," but batted down any possible "military intervention" led by the United States.</s>Eleven Latin American countries say they have agreed to allow Venezuelans leaving their homeland to enter their countries even if their travel documents have expired, the BBC reports.

The announcement came after a two-day meeting of migration officials from Latin America in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Officials from eleven of the countries in attendance signed a joint declaration in which they also called on the Venezuelan government to speed up the process of issuing passports.

The countries that will allow Venezuelans to enter with expired papers are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

More than 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled their country’s hyperinflation and severe shortages, as the government of President Nicolás Maduro continues to repress protests.

Maduro has repeatedly mocked those who leave, saying they “fall for propaganda only to leave and clean toilets in Miami.”

Venezuelans have long complained about the difficulties of getting hold of passports and other official documents. The reported cost of a travel document is up to $5,000 if the applicant had urgent reasons to leave, and many report being asked for bribes up to $1,000 to speed up the process.

In a migrant crisis of their own, Latin American countries neighboring Venezuela, which have seen the biggest influx, say they have been struggling to deal with the high numbers of Venezuelans crossing into their territory.

Ecuador started demanding valid passports from Venezuelans last month in order to let them in, a measure later overturned by a court because it went against a regional free travel agreement.

The Venezuelan government has denied there is a migration crisis and said “enemy countries” had inflated the number of those leaving to justify an invasion.</s>Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has said migration flows from the country is "normal", and that the situation is being used as a tool to justify foreign intervention in the country.

The United Nation's migration agency said the exodus of citizens out of Venezuela is nearing a "crisis moment" comparable to the situation of refugees in the Mediterranean.

"There has been an intent to convert a normal migratory flow into a humanitarian crisis in order to justify an international intervention in Venezuela," Vice President Rodriguez told a news conference on Monday.

"We will not allow it."

She criticised foreign agencies for using Venezuelan emigration provided by other countries.

According to United Nations nearly 2.3 million Venezuelans are currently living abroad and that more than 1.6 million have left since 2015.

President Nicolas Maduro said in a televised broadcast on Monday that opposition street protests and US financial sanctions had led some Venezuelans to "try their luck" in other countries but many were reconsidering that decision.

"More than 90 percent are regretting it, of this group that isn't more than 600,000 Venezuelans who have left the country in the last two years, according to confirmed, certified serious figures," he said.

Images of Venezuelans leaving the country on foot have raised alarms through the region as countries such as Ecuador, Peru and Chile seek to prepare for the growing flow of migrants.

"The situation is dramatic," Ronal Rodriguez, a professor and researcher at the Venezuelan Observatory, a think-tank at the University of Rosario in Colombia, told Al Jazeera.

"There are cases of hypothermia, people who come from the coast, and are exposed to other temperatures that are not used to, these are not planned trips."

"Some people receive help, but others are harassed. Many die on the road, and family members are forced to leave them behind to continue the journey. The internal changes taking place in the country are making things worse," Rodriguez explained.

On Monday, 13 countries in Latin America met in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito, to discuss regional strategies for managing the influx of migrants, with conclusions to be announced on Tuesday.

"We need to make the crisis visible and channel economic aid" to host countries and migrants, Ecuador's acting Foreign Minister Andres Teran said while inaugurating the two-day meeting.

The meeting will seek humanitarian solutions to help Venezuelan migrants who risk being left without work or being exploited by employers, as well as becoming victims of sexual exploitation, human trafficking or xenophobia, Teran said.

Governments initially welcomed the migrants with open arms, remembering Venezuela's role in welcoming those fleeing dictatorships and conflicts in the past.

But the exodus has ballooned this year, stretching social services, creating more competition for low-skilled jobs and stoking fears of unrest.

In the past weeks, both Ecuador and Peru announced tighter entry rules for Venezuelans, requiring them to carry valid passports instead of just national ID cards.

Ecuador also declared a state of emergency in three northern states which sees up to 4,200 Venezuelans arriving in the country daily.

"Migrants are in need of help," Rodriguez of the Venezuelan Observatory said. "They need to be regularised, we know that many are being exploited. They are not identifiable, so if they die or they are killed, it is not easy to know who they were."

"We also know of children that are being sold and are victims of trafficking, Venezuelan women are also being stigmatised, as many resort to prostitution," he added.

Monday's meeting was attended by senior officials from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay, according to the Ecuadorian foreign Ministry.

Colombia, Peru and Ecuador asked on Thursday for international aid to manage the migration surge that is overwhelming public services.</s>LIMA, Peru (AP) — Nearly one hundred Venezuelan migrants in Peru are making an unexpected journey home after deciding to take up their government’s offer of a free flight back instead of continuing to eke out a living in a foreign land.

With packed suitcases in hand, the migrants boarded an all-expenses paid flight Monday to capital city Caracas with Venezuelan state-run airline Conviasa, a trip that most would be unable to afford on their own.

“My experience wasn’t pleasant,” said Aury Durand, 24, who is eight months pregnant and said she was returning with a mix of “happiness and rage,” after working long hours at a car wash and only getting one-third of the wages she was due.

“I’ll be happy to see my country, whatever state it’s in,” she said.

In interviews with The Associated Press, several of those returning said they had difficulty finding jobs and encountered hurtful xenophobia that made a recent offer by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to fly them back appealing — a sharp contrast to the plight of hundreds of thousands of compatriots now trying to leave.

An estimated 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled their nation’s crippling economic and humanitarian crisis since 2014, according to the United Nations. In countries like Colombia and Peru, several thousand migrants now enter the country planning to stay each day. The dramatic influx has sparked tensions and fueled xenophobia.

Still, the vast majority of those arriving say they’d prefer to start over than suffer through Venezuela’s food and medical shortages, making the group departing Peru an outlier, though still a telling example of the trials many face.

“Peru opened its doors, but it also didn’t have a plan,” said Robinson Martinez, a returning 32-year-old mechanical engineer.

Martinez said that in his first three months in Peru he made a living selling candy on the street and even managed to send as much as $15 back to Venezuela in remittances a week. But as the number of Venezuelans arriving in Peru continued to boom, the work became harder. He made fewer sales and said his rent doubled.

Then Martinez and his wife read online about a new initiative launched by Maduro called “Return to the Homeland,” encouraging young Venezuelans who have left to come back and work in Venezuela — describing the flight of the nation’s brightest as another right-wing scheme to loosen his grip on power.

“Venezuelans won’t be slaves to anyone in the world!” Maduro proclaimed.

The offer might have felt like a farce to the droves who can barely afford food amid soaring hyperinflation expected to reach 1 million percent this year, but Martinez was intrigued, willing to put his trust in the president’s offer.

Over dinner one evening with his wife, who found work at a radio station in Peru, Martinez said she suggested that, “The best thing is for you to go to Venezuela and I’ll help from here.”

On Monday morning, Martinez and his 8-year-old daughter were among those heading to the airport.

“He’s giving us the opportunity to return without paying anything,” Martinez said of Maduro. “He said that on arriving in Venezuela, he’ll give us a hand with a productive job. I trust it.”

More than 400,000 Venezuelans are now living in Peru, with the vast majority arriving this year. Peru recently enacted stiffer entry requirements, asking all Venezuelans who reach the border to show a passport. Migration officials from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil are meeting in Bogota this week to decide on a regional response.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>(Venezuelan Analysis, AVN English, Telesur English and Prensa Latina English) – Venezuelan authorities have denied the existence of a humanitarian crisis of Venezuelan migration in the region on a press conference held last Wednesday August 29th, blasting the reaction from neighboring Latin American governments to the recent migration of Venezuelans as “hypocritical” and “xenophobic.”

Whilst not disputing the heavy rise of Venezuelan immigrants, Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez claimed that the issue was being manipulated to further the political objectives of regional right-wing governments to topple President Maduro. He also alleged that international press outlets have reported “fake news” on the issue to smear the Caracas administration.

Quoted UN figures suggest that 2.3 million Venezuelans (7.5 percent of the population) currently live outside the country, of which 1.6 million (5.2 percent) have left since 2015. However, many mainstream media outlets have used figures exceeding five or even six million.

This international context has produced several consequences in the region. In Brazil, authorities have reported that groups of angry residents roamed a border town hurling rocks at venezuelan immigrants and setting fire to their belongings.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza released a statement on Saturday August 18th, condemning the “dangerous matrix of xenophobic opinions,” that affected venezuelan migrants in neighbouring Brazil.

“We are concerned at the massive eviction of our nationals, a fact that violates International Law norms in addition to violating their human rights,” the statement reads. The Venezuelan government has contacted Brazil’s Foreign Ministry “to request the corresponding guarantees to Venezuelan nationals and take the measures of protection and security of their families and belongings,” Arreaza continued.

Ecuador’s government has called recently for a regional conference to be held to discuss the increasing flow of Venezuelan migrants across Latin America. The announcement came as both Ecuador and its neighbour, Peru tightented entry requirements and border restrictions, in moves analysts claim will only exasperate problems of criminality and illegal immigration.

The Ecuadorian Ombudsman”s Office considered openly discriminatory the measure imposed on Venezuelans interested in entering this country with an ID card, which must be validated by international bodies.

According to the organization’s website, the decision, announced by the Foreign Ministry, is aimed exclusively at citizens of the neighboring nation and is contrary to the Constitution and the Organic Law on Human Mobility, besides affecting the right of these people to migrate.

In contrast, Venezuelan Minister Rodriguez drew a comparison between the immigration policies of the region’s right-wing governments and that of Venezuela, which has received around 6 million Colombians fleeing the country’s fifty-year civil war, as well as 600,000 Ecuadorians and 500,000 Peruvians in recent years.

Defending his country’s immigration policy, which has been commended in the past by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Rodriguez highlighted that Venezuela has never declared a “humanitarian crisis” nor requested international assistance in dealing with the volume of newcomers, which far exceeds the numbers currently entering other Latin American countries.

Likewise, last August 30th several buses coordinated by the Venezuelan government transported 185 emigrants based in Brazil, including at least 13 minors, who returned to their country. After crossing the border through the southeastern state of Bolivar, the group moved to a care center until returning to their regions of origin.

They were brought to their houses by a new plan promoted by the Executive that seeks to facilitate the safe return of those that are victim of xenophobia, hate crimes and violation of human rights.

The Maduro administration contrasted the recent attacks against Venezuelan migrants to its own open door policy which has seen foreigners benefit from free health, housing, education, and food programs. Venezuela has generously welcomed the sisters and brothers of other countries, offering them all the benefits that the Bolivarian Revolution provides to all people equally.

While some regional governments and the mainstream media exacerbate the migrant flow, and depict a picture of total chaos in Venezuela, the Government of Venezuela has informed the international community that on August 27th, 89 Venezuelans who had crossed the borders in response to false promises and lies, returned to the country from Peru.

Some returnees recognized a campaign of disinformation about better conditions when crossing the border. The reality with which they met was very different from what they were offered: they report being subjected to untold humiliations, to cruel and inhuman treatment, to infamous signs of xenophobia and hate crimes. This group of Venezuelans contacted the authorities of their embassy to request support in order to get their repatriation.

“I never found a job. I was a street vendor and I made my life out of that,” one young man who benefited from the repatriation program says in a video posted on YouTube. “I was interviewed by the consul… and I was helped.”

Another young man says: “Thinking that everything is perfect as portrayed on social media, everything looking beautiful, people telling you to go and find a place there, but no. I had the doors closed everywhere for being Venezuelan. If they steal, it’s a Venezuelan. Everything bad here is because of a Venezuelan.”</s>Latin America has recently garnered the attention of global powers. While the US is seemingly struggling to pull South American countries into its orbit in accordance with the old Monroe Doctrine of 1823, China is beefing up its presence in the region much to Washington's concern. Beijing has largely boosted trade and investment initiatives in Latin America since 2008. Meanwhile, since the beginning of his presidency, Donald Trump has increased pressure on left-wing governments of the region, most notably, Venezuela and Cuba. Under these economic and geopolitical circumstances, another rising Asian giant, India, is maintaining ties with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. Thus, New Delhi continues to cooperate with Venezuela despite the US sanctions policy and opposes Washington's embargo on Cuba.

Speaking to Sputnik, Dr. Sanjay Badri-Maharaj, an Indian expert on Latin American issues, and Amrita Dhillon, a foreign policy analyst and founding editor of The Kootneeti, shared their views on India's foreign strategy with regard to Latin America.

Sputnik: China is expanding its presence in Latin America by launching investment projects and building infrastructure. Being a rising Asian giant, is India planning to boost ties with South America? What has been done in this respect so far? Do China and India's interests clash in the region?

Dr. Sanjay Badri-Maharaj: India's efforts to boost ties in South America are focused on trade. India is Latin America's sixth most important export destination. "Focus: LAC" remains a key initiative but it is very much a trade-oriented mission. ["Focus: LAC" is a program kicked off by India's Department of Commerce in 1997.]

Indian businesses do invest in the region — rather than major government-to-government investments — to the tune of US$15 billion and employ 35,000 people in the region.

The two countries have adopted differing approaches. China seeks to control assets — mining, infrastructure, etc. — while India looks to invest for profit and to a lesser extent for goodwill.

Is enough being done by India? No.

The Indian bureaucracy sees everything as transactional and gets bogged down by minutiae, failing to see the bigger picture. There is also a shortfall in diplomatic representation where more South American countries have embassies in India than vice versa.

Sputnik: What Latin American countries does India conduct business with? What are India's major exports and services provided to the region? What does India buy from the continent? What major Latin American projects and initiatives are Indian companies currently involved in?

Dr Sanjay Badri-Maharaj: Indian investment in the region exceeds $15 billion in the information technology (IT), pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, mining, energy, and manufacturing sectors. Led by such firms as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (pharma), United Phosphorus (agrochemicals), Shree Renuka Sugars, Havells Sylvania (lighting equipment), Videocon (television), and ONGC Videsh (oil), Indian companies have established a presence in the LAC region and currently Indian companies employ some 35,000 Latin Americans.

India's major trading partners include Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico with substantial trade also undertaken with Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Argentina.

India's major imports from the region are crude oil, vegetable oil, gold and mineral ores. India's major exports to the region include vehicles and pharmaceuticals.

Sputnik: Latin American countries differ a lot from each other, especially in terms of political agenda. What South American political regimes has India historically been aligned with? What's New Delhi's attitude towards Washington's crackdown against Latin America's left-leaning governments, especially in Venezuela and Cuba?

Amrita Dhillon: That's how beautifully and wisely Indian policy has been crafted since independence: India maintains equal relations with its partners regardless of political ideology. Indian foreign policy is based on the pillars of Panchsheel [five principles of peaceful co-existence]. India still follows the aims of NAM [Non-Aligned Movement, established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia] and prioritizes each NAM summit.

Washington can't dictate India on its policies to deal with other states, not only in Latin America but around the globe. For instance, despite the US pressure, India maintained its embassy in North Korea, which is another leftist government. Also, India distanced itself from the Trump administration's position on Cuba as it voted in favor of a UN resolution urging an end to the United States embargo on Cuba.

India's stand could be seen during the International Solar Alliance (2018). Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was invited to the conference and held talks with PM Narendra Modi in which hydro-carbon partnership was one of the key areas.

Also, India is one of the largest buyers of Venezuelan crude oil. India's state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has plans to invest further in the San Cristobal joint venture over the coming years in order to increase production.

READ MORE: Analysts on How US Invasion of Afghanistan, Libya and Syria Misfired on India

However, I would add that India's policies with respect to "left-leaning" governments are a bit of an anachronism which has not produced tangible trade or investment benefits. Furthermore, while India has interests in Venezuelan oil, pragmatism is required as an unstable government conducive to long-term prospects. Also, it should be noted that the Venezuelan Opposition-controlled National Assembly is required to ratify projects relating to the energy sector as per the Venezuelan constitution.

On the American policies of crackdown I would further like to point, apart from Latin America, coming to Russia, India has concluded the S-400 deal and the same will be conveyed to the US during the upcoming 'two-plus-two' talks that it is going ahead to the deal with Russia to procure a batch of S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems, notwithstanding the American sanctions on military transactions with Moscow.

The views and opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.

Dr Sanjay Badri-Maharaj is an expert on Latin American issues. He was a Visiting Fellow at IDSA (New Delhi). Also, he is an independent defence analyst and attorney-at-law based in Trinidad and Tobago.

Amrita Dhillon is a foreign policy analyst and founding editor of The Kootneeti, a New Delhi-based multilingual publication on international relations and diplomacy. She's also an honorary fellow at Equilibrium Global — Buenos Aires (Argentina).</s>Alicorp S.A.A. (“the Company” or “Alicorp”) (BVL: ALICORC1 and ALICORI1), a leading Peruvian consumer goods company obtained the top position in the ranking for Latin America Executive Team – MidCap Food & Beverages, in a published survey performed by Institutional Investor’s magazine, a leading financial news publication.

Alicorp’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer were also ranked first in their categories, and Alicorp’s Investor Relations Program reached second place.

To obtain the full results of the rankings, please visit: https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/research/8602/The-Latin-America-Executive-Team

Alicorp is a leading consumer goods company headquartered in Peru, with operations in other Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and exports to 23 other countries. The Company focuses on three core businesses: (1) Consumer Products (food, personal and home care products), in Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and other countries, (2) Industrial Food Products (industrial flour, industrial lard, pre-mix and food service products), and (3) Aquaculture (fish and shrimp feeding).

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements represent Alicorp's expectations or beliefs concerning future events, and it is possible that the results described in this press release will not be achieved. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of Alicorp's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and, except as required by law, Alicorp does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors.</s>By The Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Immigration authorities in Colombia and Peru are vowing to build a joint database to share information on the rapidly rising number of Venezuelans fleeing their nation’s crippling economic and humanitarian crisis.

Officials announced the plan Tuesday following a two-day regional meeting aimed at developing a unified response to the exodus.

The United Nations estimates 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled since 2014, the majority of them going to Colombia or Peru.

Over 1 million Venezuelans have arrived in Colombia in less than two years, while officials in Peru say there are more than 400,000 living in the nation.

Colombia immigration director Christian Kruger said the database will allow nations to share information on topics like immigration status, health care and security. He hopes other nations including Ecuador will join.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>(BBC) – Eleven Latin American countries say that they have agreed to allow Venezuelans leaving their homeland to enter their countries even if their travel documents have expired.

More than 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the country’s hyperinflation and severe shortages.

But many do not have valid passports because renewing them can take years.

The move will come as a relief to those who say they were trapped in Venezuela due to their lack of papers.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly mocked those who leave, saying they “fall for propaganda only to leave and clean toilets in Miami”.

The announcement was made after a two-day meeting of migration officials from Latin America in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito.

Eleven of the countries represented signed a joint declaration in which they also called on the Venezuelan government to speed up the process of issuing passports.

Venezuelans have long complained about how difficult it is to get hold of passports and other official documents such as birth and marriage certificates and ID cards.

Many have reported being asked for bribes up to $1,000 (£780) for a passport which could rise to $5,000 if the applicant had urgent reasons to leave, such as wanting to visit a sick family member abroad.

The government has blamed shortages of paper and “mafias” inside the registry service, known as Saime, for the delays.

In June, four Saime officials were arrested for extortion and a new director of the service was named in July. But with tens of thousands of Venezuelans wanting to leave, the queues remain long.

The countries which will allow Venezuelans to enter with expired papers are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
After an emergency summit, eleven nations of Latin America (including Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru) announce that they will all admit Venezuelan migrants without the required travel documents.