Colombian president lends hand to refugees from Venezuela

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has granted 440,000 refugees from crisis-stricken Venezuela two years of help.

Santos said Thursday that the Venezuelans can study, work and get medical care. He granted them temporary residency permits.

Venezuela is in the grips of a five-year crisis under the rule of socialist President Nicolas Maduro, marked by a shortage of food and medicine that’s driving masses across borders.

Santos condemns Maduro for the crisis, saying it burdens neighboring countries like Colombia.

Santos has urged Maduro to allow international humanitarian relief, easing suffering in Venezuela and slowing the flow of migrants.

Maduro has refused international help, either denying a crisis exists or saying it would allow in imperialist invaders.

Santos says that more than 1 million Venezuelans have fled into Colombia.