This is the first in a two-part series. The second part can be found here.
Venezuela has gone from being a country that received immigrants to being a leading actor in the largest Latin American diaspora. The problems of the Venezuelan exodus have worsened in recent times and, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR, more than 4.6 million Venezuelans have left the country, making it the largest migration crisis in Latin America. Most Venezuelans have found good opportunities in foreign lands, but in some targeted cases discrimination, racism, xenophobia and hatred have been observed.
The diaspora has caused concern in the governments of the region, which were unprepared for the wave of displacement and were unable to take appropriate action in time. The first batches of migration were favorably accepted, but the entry and stay requirements of many countries have gradually changed, making migration conditions and the regularization of status in receiving localities more difficult.
A large percentage of Venezuelans abroad have been welcomed with open arms, and many locals have helped to obtain work or a better opportunity, but this is not the case for everyone. With the increase in migration, intolerance has also been on the rise, especially in countries where people see their jobs or quality of life threatened. This upsurge in some regions is partly due to political strategies and discourses that generally leave all Venezuelans out of control.
According to sociologist and coordinator of the Venezuelan Diaspora Observatory, Tomás Páez, some nationalist political leaders around the world have stimulated xenophobia in recent years, not only towards Venezuelans. In Peru, for example, some media outlets highlight crimes committed by Venezuelans, but there is no mention in the headlines when they are Peruvian or of a less controversial nationality.
Latin America is in solidarity, but with pockets of xenophobia
The attacks received have been focused on Venezuelans and not on the entire mass of foreigners. The anti-Venezuelan phenomenon is recent and has worsened with the unprecedented migration deployed in the region. It is estimated that the exodus could continue to increase unless the situation changes. According to forecasts by the International Organization for Migration, it could reach 6.5 million Venezuelan migrants by the end of 2020.
The Venezuelan crisis no longer affects exclusively the country’s residents; it has disrupted neighboring countries and the finances they allocate to this type of situation. The large number of people who have suddenly arrived exceeds capacities, influencing mostly the health systems, economic, social assistance and employment rates.
The population of most of the countries has shown particular concern for work, due to the arrival of a professional workforce willing to work in jobs of lesser capacity than their skills and lower wages, all in order to have an economic stability that allows them to survive and send money to their families in Venezuela. Others, due to their high degree of specialization, have imposed themselves on nationals in very competitive positions.
In Ecuador, for example, labor competition has been enriched and strengthened in various sectors. Daniel Regalado, president of the Venezuelan Civil Association in Ecuador, mentions that Venezuelans “have been taken into consideration for vacancies that were originally for the national,” because of their level of education and higher experience, “but that’s not a novelty in the immigration case in Ecuador, where Chileans, Peruvians, Colombians and many other nationalities have imposed themselves,” similarly to Venezuelans over Ecuadorians.
Acts of violence and discrimination increase not only because of a collective concern, but also because of political speeches charged with xenophobia. As in the case of Esther Saavedra, a pro-Fujimori deputy who said that Venezuelans must leave Peru. In Panama, Congresswoman Zulay Rodriguez also discredited Venezuelans during a speech prepared for the presentation of a bill to transform the country’s immigration laws.
Being public figures has not stopped them in their dissertations of animosity, despite the fact that the American Convention on Human Rights, which dates from 1969, does not allow racial hatred, origin or religion or incitement to violence towards vulnerable groups. These speeches have generated worrying effects, with aggressions and protests against the Venezuelan migrant population in countries such as Ecuador, Panama, Brazil and Peru.
Sociologist Tomás Páez acknowledges that despite isolated outbreaks of xenophobia, Latin America’s role in solidarity must be highlighted. “Colombia has hosted the same number of immigrants received by 27 European countries with Syrian migration… Latin America has been of an impressive generosity, and they are not in the same conditions… Colombia is a country of emigrants fundamentally, as well as Ecuador,” Páez explained.
The rejection of Venezuelans in some countries
In Brazil, Venezuelans are accused of collapsing border areas such as Boa Vista and Pacaraima, which were not prepared to absorb a large number of migrants who, in particular, require urgent medical attention. One of the turning points occurred in 2018 when Brazilians attacked Venezuelan immigration camps in Pacaraima.
The migrants were expelled and the tents did not survive the attacks after being burned. The violence began after the aggression against a local merchant allegedly at the hands of a Venezuelan. Given the situation, the Brazilian army had to deploy in the area to control the migration crisis.
Some regional authorities proposed the closure of the border. They managed it for less than 24 hours by order of a federal judge, but then it was annulled by a magistrate of the Supreme Court. As humanitarian measures, the authorities have also initiated plans to relocate migrants to larger cities with greater sources of employment and possibilities.
In Mexico, particular cases have been presented in airports, where groups of Venezuelans have denounced that they have been detained, in some cases being the Aztec country only for a connection. Others have been denied entry despite having their documents in order. In addition, some travelers have denounced the disappearance of articles or money in their belongings.
In Peru, Venezuelans are accused of displacing the labor force and increasing crime. 73% of the nationals who participated in the survey of the Institute of Peruvian Studies present disagreement with the arrival of Venezuelans to their country, despite the fact that only 14% have had a close relationship with these foreigners. This country is the second that has received a greater number of people; according to figures from the UNHCR, there are more than 860,000 Venezuelans in Peruvian territory.
The opinion of Peruvians has more to do with a perception than with real data. The rates of violence perpetrated by Venezuelans increased according to figures from the National Police of Peru, having 5,767 reports of crimes between 2016 and 2019, but less than 1% in total were committed by Venezuelans, in a national context with 941,788 reports from 2016 to 2018.
A witch hunt took place in Ecuador, a few hours after a Venezuelan murdered his girlfriend in front of police authorities. Ecuadorians expelled and frightened a large number of foreign residents from Venezuela for hours. The anger of the population had greater power when minutes after the event, President Lenin Moreno indicated that measures would be taken to control the entry and residence of Venezuelans.
Throughout the months, Ecuadorians have made various protests to demand the departure of this mass of foreigners from their country. One of the concerns of the nationals is a piece of false news, which indicates that these migrants have been receiving economic aid from the government, when the reality is that NGOs have joined forces to assist people who have moved from their country of origin.
Social networks have shown protests and aggressions based on false news about the immigrant budget. A few weeks ago, a Venezuelan was attacked in Ecuador after leaving a supermarket. Daniel Regalado, president of the Venezuelan Civil Association in Ecuador indicates that “it is a distortion of that reality. All the funds that are handled with the food cards come from the U.S. government. They are managed by international NGOs that reserve the right to grant to refugees or migrants in different countries, such as HIAS, which is one of the most sought-after.”
Negative information being promoted to cause concern “has generated attacks from people ignorant of this global program, which only applies to vulnerable individuals on the issue of mobility and, in turn, creates resentment against a population that has no means to perform formal work, and its family nucleus is mostly made up of children and adolescents, as well as older adults or people with a severe disability,” remarks Daniel Regalado.
Colombian authorities expect the region to respond with common measures. The neighboring country is one of the most affected by migration as it receives the largest number of Venezuelans on its land. According to UNHCR figures, there are about 1.5 million Venezuelans who have crossed the border to reside in Colombia. In addition, some 300,000 Colombians have recently returned to their country after living in Venezuela for years. This destabilization causes indignation in some who reject the entry of foreigners into their territory, accusing them of lack of employment or social problems.
The important aspect is not to generalize and to stop pointing out all foreigners as criminals, but at the same time it must be recognized that “the fall of the market in Venezuela not only affects companies and the general population, but also the armed gangs, which have looked outside the country for markets for their criminal groups,” emphasizes Tomás Páez. On the other hand, the feeling of threat and labor inferiority comes from only one sector; human rights organizations assure that to counter this thought, it is recommended that there is proper legislation and information.
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