In , almost 12, people met violent ends, according to the Venezuelan Violence Observatory, a figure that is seven and a half times the global average. Since , at least 5. Most of the millions of Venezuelans on the move have headed south, not north. Whether this trend will become a sustained pattern or merely a blip caused by pandemic-related border closures remains to be seen.
The International Organization of Migration notes that some Venezuelans are returning to Bolivia from Peru and Chile because of rising xenophobia and discrimination, as well as better access to healthcare and a lower cost of living. Bolivia currently hosts about 10, Venezuelan refugees and migrants, a figure that has doubled in the past year. Peru, by contrast, is now home to 1. Most Venezuelans who stay in Bolivia live in Santa Cruz, where the warm, humid weather feels more like their former home than the cold climate of the Andes.
Carolina del Valle, a year-old petroleum engineer and mother of two, arrived in Santa Cruz in with her mother and children. There was no single incident that pushed her and her husband out of Venezuela, she says, but each day was worse than the one before.
Trained as a geologist, he now drives a taxi. She found administrative work in a textile factory and started a side business with her mother making and selling empanadas. As professionals with some means, del Valle and her family were able to fly into Bolivia.
Both routes are harrowing journeys across thousands of rugged miles. The ordeal proves deadly for some and devastating for many. Yet such movements are more often referred to as calamities when the direction is south to north—from South and Central America to North America, for instance, or when Syrians fled to Europe in Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have granted Venezuelans various permissions to stay either temporarily or permanently and have introduced measures to ease their integration.
Meanwhile, policies in the global north—such as U. The IOM says the Bolivian government offers no financial assistance, so help comes mainly from humanitarian organizations and other Venezuelans.
The efforts are self-financed, with people contributing what they can. And they continue to arrive. Several countries, including Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, have also militarized their frontiers in an effort to curb migration.
Before the pandemic closed borders, the daily figure was 5, He tries to encourage them to stay and end their exhausting, perilous journeys.
The year-old Griz is part of a Christian organization that has shelters—known as Casas del Migrante , or migrant homes—throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. There are eight in Bolivia.
That assistance includes food, shelter, and information about the safest bus routes, the cost of fares, and areas to avoid. In addition to providing meals and a bed, the organization also offers entrepreneurial courses in trades, such as hairdressing and carpentry, as well as workshops, including digital marketing and financial planning.
People find him through word of mouth or referrals from police or state institutions. Cultural events such as soccer tournaments between Bolivians and Venezuelans also help integrate refugees and migrants into their new communities. The year-old mother of three was an accountant in Venezuela. She completed a digital marketing course and one in financial planning.
Coba moved to Batallas from La Paz where the small-town hospitality and cheaper rents helped her assimilate and quickly become part of the community. She sells her baked goods every Saturday at a market stall and also takes orders via her Facebook page. It also helped arrange treatment for one of her daughters who has a hormonal growth problem and the other who has a learning disability.
In September, the Bolivian government approved an amnesty to encourage Venezuelans and others to legalize their status, a move the interior minister said would help thousands of people. F, a year-old journalist who prefers to remain anonymous because she is in Spain without a proper visa.
The journalist arrived in Spain several months ago because her father — who gained Spanish nationality when he married a Spaniard — sent them money for the flight.
She is now working illegally, doing the accounts for several restaurants. A retired career guidance officer, he is one of 9, Venezuelans with Spanish nationality who have not been paid their pension since With his savings gone, he and his wife have to survive on the little money their children send them from England.
This might sound dire, but there are those worse off. Together, they have set up an association to lobby the Spanish government for a non-contributory pension. Despite their current situation, Pedro does not regret the move to Spain which was made after his wife was mugged in Venezuela. Neither does A. Sandra Araujo is also happy about her decision, despite having to sell her house in Caracas where she once dreamed of growing old.
All were weary of the violence and misery that has taken their country hostage and none believe they will ever return. The catalyst for their migration came when Andrea narrowly escaped an attempted kidnapping and her sister an assault during a demonstration.
Madrid - 30 Aug UTC. Copy link. Going hungry in Venezuela. Where families buy rotten meat to eat. Image source, Bloomberg. The restaurant is a popular spot in the capital's Chacao district.
Image source, Getty Images. A view of Caracas during one of the recent blackouts. Dwindling privileges. Venezuela's crisis in words Where families buy rotten meat to eat. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Increasing hardship. Customers browse the offerings at one of the Franca outlets. Related Topics. Caracas Venezuela Venezuela crisis.
Published 12 August.
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