Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia urged regional governments to respect the rights of migrants in order to stop a xenophobic campaigns, especially against the Venezuelan migrant population.

Caracas, December 19 (RHC)-- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia has urged governments of the region to respect the rights of migrants in order to stop a xenophobic campaigns, especially against the Venezuelan migrant population.

"We urge the governments of the region, regardless of their political persuation, to respect the human rights of all migrants and cease the promotion of any act of xenophobia against the Venezuelan migrant population," said the Venezuelan foreign minister.

Plasencia made this statement in the framework of the International Migrants Day, where he highlighted the plans of the Venezuelan Executive in favor of the return of Venezuelan nationals.  "We want to underline our commitment with the implementation of plans, such as Vuelta a la Patria, to facilitate the return migration of all our nationals abroad," he added.

Hours earlier, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed the importance of respecting the rights of migrant citizens and recalled that Venezuela is a land characterized by receiving people of other nationalities.   "We are a land of noble and supportive people who received, with warmth and brotherhood, millions of brothers from other nations who make our Homeland their home," he added.

It is worth mentioning that with the Return to the Homeland Plan, the Venezuelan government has been able to repatriate this year more than 26,000 Venezuelans who were in other countries of the region and where they have suffered from xenophobia.

Recently, 187 Venezuelans returned to the country from Argentina, "this is part of the teamwork with different institutions, which contribute to continue filling Venezuelan homes with joy and love", added Foreign Minister Plasencia.