President Michelle Bachelet says Chile will welcome "an important number of refugees."
Bachelet spoke during a religious ceremony late yesterday. She didn't specify the country of origin of the refugees. But her foreign minister said over the weekend that Chile was looking into receiving Syrians fleeing the civil war in the largest refugee crisis since World War II.
Bachelet said Chile will welcome the refugees because in her words, the tragedy being lived now is a tragedy affecting all of humanity.
Uruguay welcomed 42 Syrian refugees in October 2014, but they now want to leave, saying the country is too expensive and they cannot find jobs. The five families are protesting outside Montevideo's presidential building.
Neighbouring Argentina said this week that its doors are also open to Syrians refugees.
