Half of Venezuelans entering Brazil have left: report

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Over half of Venezuelans who entered Brazil in the past 18 months have already left the country, local news site G1 said on Tuesday.

A total of 128,000 Venezuelans crossed the border into the Brazilian state of Roraima, according to the government's Chief of Staff Eliseu Padilha, and 68,900 of them have already left.

Among those who left, 31,500 did so through the same border area when entering Brazil and another 37,400 left by plane or land through other border areas, said Padilha, citing data by the police.

From 2015 to June 2018, 35,500 Venezuelans requested refuge in Brazil and other 11,100 requested permanent residence, according to reports.