the hardship of a migrant: from Venezuela to America
Venezuela, was once upon a time one of the most prosperous country in Latin America. We are talking about the decades between the 50's and the 90's when it became the richest country in the region and one of the twenty richest countries in the world, ahead of countries like Spain, Greece and Israel. It was called the Saudi Venezuela for its oil.
At that time Venezuelans had a good economic and political stability. In fact I remember when I was at University that my mom's friend migrated to Venezuela to work, so she could be able to send her money to pay for her private university in Colombia. Just the way people migrate to the U.S. today.
In the 80's, my dad owned clothing stores for kids in Bogota. He would tell my mom stories about Venezuelan parents that go to his stores and buy clothe for their kids and throw away the clothe they were wearing.
In Colombia it was well known about the wealth in Venezuela, we were hearing stories that Venezuelans used to go to Miami for the weekend to do shopping.
When Chavez took over, everything changed. And as many of you might have heard, the country's downfall started and it is getting worse every day.
Venezuelan exodus has reached 7 million people since 2015 according to the International Monetary Fund. 6 million have settled in other Latin American countries such as Chile, Colombia, Peru and Ecuator. The rest has gone to Europe, specially Spain and USA.
This has been the region's largest migration episode in history driven by the terrible collapse of the country's economy. Venezuelans today struggle to meet their basic needs.
The minimum salary is $5 dollars, which is basically nothing. People leave everything behind and flew to other countries to find opportunities. They do not even sell their houses because they are worth nothing, and many of them have a small hope that someday they will be able to come back, they look forward a different Venezuela, the one that was prosperous in the past.
Colombia is the main migratory bridge for Venezuelans. They cross the border and go to the city of Cucuta in Colombia, from there they either take a bus or a flight to Bogota, and from there they either stay or fly to the U.S. or another Latin American country. Those whose final destination is America, fly to Mexico city, take a bus to the north, hire a coyote and cross the border.
In this Blog, I would like to share a true story, result of a recent conversation I had in an airplane going from Bogota to Mexico City. This is the story of a Venezuelan family going to America to find new opportunities for their kids.
I took my flight at 8pm from Bogota to be in Mexico City at 2am. I was in the window and there was a lady in her early 30's carrying a 1 year old baby next to me and a 7 year old kid next to her, who happened to be her son.
We started talking and she asked me about Mexico City, she mentioned she was from San Cristobal and she was on holidays… After 1 hour of conversation where we asked each other about our lives, she decided to confess me her secret…let's call her Maria…
Maria: You seem like a nice person (she started whispering) and she said: the truth is that I am not a tourist, I am going to cross the border in Mexico, my husband is waiting for me in America
Me: OMG, how are you going to do that, you have a one year old baby and your son is already too young
Maria: I know, but we have been preparing for 4 months and he knows what to do and what to say
Me: So you husband is in America already?
Maria: Yeah, he paid 2 coyotes one that is gonna pick us up in Mexico city and the other that will receive us in Tijuana
Me: How long are you staying in Mexico city for?
Maria: Only one day, we take the bus tomorrow afternoon
Me: Please make sure to sleep well
Maria: Thank you. I have baggage full of old clothe that I am going to throw away as soon as I am out of the airport, If I get to pass. I bought new clothe for this trip so in migration they will think we are a rich family and we are on holidays…
Me: Can I ask you, what did u decide to do this? This is a big risk with kids…
Maria: I know but there is no food in Venezuela, there is no hope…
Me: Can I ask, what did you and your husband do back in Venezuela?
Maria: I was a teacher and my husband was a policeman at the airport. He was the type of policeman that was stealing everything from the tourists when they were visiting Venezuela. He did not have any choice, he normally stole basic things such as toothpaste, creams, and food to bring home… he is not a bad person…
Me: I am so sorry to hear that, I can not imagine how bad it was…
Maria: My husband has never done any other job, now he is working as a prep cook for a restaurant at Houston. He is waiting for us there…
I wanted to go to the restroom, and all of a sudden I stood up and I came to the realization that everyone in that flight was Venezuelan in the same situation. I started to listen the accent when I was passing by every row on my way to the bathroom…
People looked scared and worried, nobody was sleeping. When I came back we continue talking, we were actually whispering in order not to get in trouble. I am a Colombian citizen and Mexico city airport is well known to treat badly the tourists, so I did not want to get in trouble for the conversation I was having.
Me: Maria, I am worried about your kids, how are you going to cross the Mexican border?
Maria: We are going to turn ourselves in to the immigration police at the border, Venezuelans have that advantage, we stay in a prison for a while and then we are freed and can stay in America…
Me: Your 7 year old son does not look afraid…
Maria: He is very brave, he knows exactly what to do and what to say in case we get separated…He practice swimming these months because we have to cross the river…
The stewardess announced we are arriving to Mexico city soon….
Maria: Do you know Mexico City very well? I need to convince the migration officer I am here on holidays…
Me: This is my first time in Mexico, but I have a list that can serve you…Please be safe, pray and take care of your kids, I will be thinking of you… God bless you
We got off the airplane…As I was lining waiting for my turn I saw many families lining behind me with a very worried face, there was one family in particular that called my attention, the father was filling the format and he was sweating, all his shirt was wet from behind and I could see he was holding so much responsibility in his shoulders with his family getting ready to what it was coming next…
When I got out, there were people waiting for them, assigning families to different buses. Maria made it, she was already outside the airport, she was not retained in migration, we exchanged glances and she smiled… and we said bye as she took a cab… I prayed she was able to make it to her final destination without a problem and that she is safe now with her kids… I thought about her the following days…
I had a great admiration for all the Venezuelans that have left their beautiful country to start from scratch in other countries, and they are not able to come back again.
Those whose families are still there, those whose have sick and depressed family members there, those whose hearts are still in Venezuela and longing for going back one day to rebuild their country, those who had to leave suddenly leaving everything behind because they were being politically persecuted, those who cry for Venezuela from far and have memories of the good times, those who follow the news from afar but can not do anything…
These are some testimonies of dear people I met personally in America and Colombia:
“ I am a successful fitness trainer in Florida. My best friend was killed in Venezuela for stealing his car… life does not worth anything there chama, nothing… my father had cancer for a couple of years and I was not able to go back and visit him because of my migratory status. The American Embassy left Venezuela some years ago, so he could not get the visa to come and visit me… Do you know how was to wake up everyday thinking he was going to die and I was not going to be able to see him? that was hard….”
“ I am from Merida, I own a dog waking company in California. I was a lawyer and a politician back in Venezuela, I had to leave the country in 3 days because I was told I was going to be put in prison, I left everything, I packed 2 bags and took a flight to Curacao, I stayed there for a month and flew to San Francisco where my sister was living. My idea is to make money in America as much as I can, work for the next 10 years and come back to Venezuela sponsor the opposition and rebuild the country, I love my Venezuela, and I will not rest until I see Venezuela free of those jerks who lead the country…”
“I am a nurse, I moved to Colombia with my husband 5 years ago because of my grandson, he has schizophrenia and there were not doctors in Venezuela, all the hospitals are abandoned, they do not have beds, doors, nothing… there is no medicine and all the health professionals left the country, I had to pay a nurse to help my grandson 18 dollars per hour, this is 3 months of minimum salary! My town is like a ghost town now, everyone has left… I left my 6-room big house to come to Colombia. Here in Colombia I live in a room with my husband and my grandson, we share an apartment with another family. Last year my mom was sick so I took a 24h bus to visit her, and I slept in my house, and I cried the whole night moving in my bed… it was a weird feeling….”
Natalia Cortes, Bogota, Colombia. August 2023
