In the locality of Aguas Blancas, in the province of Salta, the construction of a wire fence will take place on the border with Bolivia with the aim of preventing the illegal entry of people and smuggling practices. The initiative arises from the need to strengthen border control in the region.
"The fencing will be placed within the preventive wall used when the Bermejo River rises. The idea is to clearly delineate access to migration to prevent people from crossing uncontrolled through other places," highlighted Adrián Zigarán, the intervener of Aguas Blancas. The work will be funded by the province of Salta under the supervision of the Nation, after a considerable flow of people crossing illegally was observed.
The plan is part of the "Güemes Plan" of the Ministry of Security, led by Patricia Bullrich, and aims to strengthen the northern borders of the country. According to the newspaper El Tribuno, the bidding process for the installation of an Olympic fence along the 200 meters that separate the local Migration bus terminal has begun.
"On the Bolivian side, strict controls were built, but on the Argentine side, there was no clear delineation," mentioned Virginia Cornejo, National Director of Surveillance and Border Control of the Ministry of Security. Since last December, federal forces have been deployed in Aguas Blancas to reinforce surveillance in the area.
Intervener Zigarán explained that the purpose is to direct people towards the Migration office. "It was a point where people arrived, it was a meeting point, whether by taxi, bus, whatever, and from there they would jump over a wall, which is for protection against the flooding caused by the Bermejo, and people would walk out and go to the small boats, that is, from the Migration post, 200 meters before, people jumped into the river."
