After agreeing to speak with the BBC on condition of anonymity, a group of Venezuelan deserters based in a church in Cúcuta described what pushed them to leave President Maduro's armed forces.
"There are many professional troops who want to do this. This will be a domino effect. This will have significant influence on the armed forces," one 29-year-old man said.
"The armed forces have broken down because of so many corrupt officers.
"The professional military is tired. We cannot remain slaves, we are freeing ourselves," he added.
Another defector, a woman, described the mood on Saturday as "tense", adding: "I was thinking I could not harm my own people.
"My daughter is still in Venezuela and that is what hurts the most. But I did this for her. It's difficult because I don't know what they might do to her."
A third said he felt pain at seeing the Venezuelan people on the streets fighting for humanitarian aid.
"I felt impotent and useless. I felt pain for everything happening," he said.
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