Global Comment

Where the world thinks out loud

The Venezuela that hurts

US Mexico border

People have to feel a lot of desperation to risk their lives crossing a border illegally. Venezuelans have not experienced this until recently. In the past, we saw how individuals of other nationalities left their countries in search of new opportunities, now Venezuelans are the ones who generate dramatic images in the diaspora processes.

A few days ago, a group of journalists captured shocking photographs of an elderly Venezuelan woman crossing the Rio Grande (at the U.S.-Mexico border) in the arms of a young man. The dramatic scene circled the world.

César decided to carry Irma after seeing her exhausted to the point of fainting. They did not know each other, they are not family or friends. Both come from the state of Zulia, a region that used to be an oil paradise and provided many opportunities for its residents. Today, it is one of the most affected places, with an acute crisis of public services and a low quality of life.

A few weeks ago, an elderly Honduran woman in a wheelchair faced a scene similar to Irma’s, when she crossed the river on a raft with her daughter Maritza. They had hoped to be reunited with a granddaughter in New Jersey but were sent back to Mexico where, a few days later, Trinidad, 93, died. They were fleeing insecurity, survivors of a massacre in which Maritza’s son was murdered in cold blood.

Migration problems continue in the region and the tragedy does not seem to have an end. Many have similar stories, some are able to stay and others must return. It is a complex issue for the countries receiving migrants and each nation manages its own laws to avoid chaos.

In March, the U.S. government communicated a new Temporary Protected Status, for undocumented Venezuelans already residing in the country by that date. The program benefited 320,000 people, but it is important to realize that it excludes those who entered the territory after the announcement.

Venezuelans never imagined seeing hundreds of their conationals walking across the border to the United States, but this is the frontier that was missing. In recent years, we saw Venezuelans cross the Táchira river to enter Colombia. We saw them walk through the Berlin wasteland to arrive in Bogotá and, from there, to Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina. We saw how some died in the arid border of Chile, and we saw them shipwrecked on their way by raft to Aruba or Trinidad and Tobago.

Now, Venezuelans cross a border more than 4,000 kilometers from their homes with a small bag on their backs and, on many occasions, a child in their arms. The numbers of Venezuelans entering the United States illegally have increased worryingly. U.S. authorities believe that many Venezuelans are being duped by coyotes who demand large sums of money for security they cannot provide.

In recent years, 5.6 million Venezuelans have migrated. Many of them traveled by plane or bus, but the worsening of living conditions in Venezuela pushed many others to leave on foot or in terrible conditions. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, Venezuela is the country with the fourth largest migration crisis in the world, and the biggest exodus in Latin America.

In the meantime, Irma was lucky: she found a young man willing to help her, even though he was losing his own strength. She also received medical attention from the border patrol when she touched U.S. territory. Days later, she was reunited with her daughter, who lives in the United States. In Venezuela, an old age pension was barely enough for a kilo of pasta.

For his part, Cesar is waiting for the immigration decision to know if the crossing was in vain or if he will be allowed to stay and work. On social media he was described as a hero, because he actually saved her life.

A few days before her rescue, a video went viral of a female officer holding a baby while her parents caught their breath. Although these are tough and emotional scenes, they represent the reality of daily life in this place where hundreds of people cross daily in search of better opportunities in their lives.

The images show the rawness and vulnerability of the experience they go through before setting foot on U.S. soil. Almost all of them break down upon arrival, bursting into tears after days of exhaustion, and seeing the desperation and fear in the eyes of their fellow travelers.

After seeing the images, many Venezuelans affirm that ‘Venezuela hurts’. It is a pain that does not go away no matter what corner of the world they are in. Most of them remember a time when the country gave opportunities to foreigners and when nobody thought of leaving.

However, now the world talks about the largest diaspora in Latin America, the decadence, the Chavismo that did not work, the insecurity, the failed public services and the poverty. Venezuela hurts, after having been an example of being one of the most prosperous countries in the region. Migration is the result of a tragedy foretold that, after more than twenty years, does not seem to be coming to an end.

Image credit: Tony Webster