Latin American states to accept Venezuela expired papers

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. More…