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WORLD NEWSFriday 23 March 2018
US was a temporary stop for many Venezuelans; now it's home
By GISELA SALOMON ally anywhere else in Latin For Villalonga, it was gradu- ian, the economy spiraled States say the Venezuelans
Associated Press America. Its people visited al process. The men came downward, and crime rose, harken back to the Cubans
MIAMI (AP) — Helene Vil- Florida to go shopping and into her business in Valen- with one of the highest ho- who fled the 1959 revolu-
lalonga decided she had tion and the upheaval that
to get out of Venezuela for In this, Monday, March 12, 2018 photo, Helene Villalonga speaks during an interview at AMAVEX followed.
a while when two men, one INC., an organization she founded that helps reunify migrant families and victims of domestic “The initial wave of Cubans
brandishing a gun, showed violence find shelter, in Doral, Fla. People who study immigrant trends in the United States says the that came to the United
up at her party rental busi- Venezuelans seem to be following a similar path as the Cubans who fled the revolution in 1959 States when Fidel Cas-
ness and told her to stop and the upheaval that followed. tro came to power had
working for local politicians hopes to return to Cuba
opposed to then-President (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) soon at some point when
Hugo Chavez. Fidel Castro was no longer
Villalonga put a sign in the see Disneyworld like tourists cia in 2000, asking for her micide rates in the world. in power,” said Mark Hugo
window of her business that from Europe, and then they by name and making sure It’s gotten so bad that Lopez, director of Hispanic
said "closed for vacation" went home. she could see one was hundreds of thousands of research at Pew Research
and set off with her two But more recent arrivals are armed. After she left the people are fleeing across Center. The Venezuelan
youngest children to the starting to acknowledge a country, her husband was the borders of neighboring story “is an echo” of their
U.S., figuring she would be bitter reality: Conditions in attacked in the street and Brazil and Colombia, some experience.
gone a few weeks. the South American coun- soon joined her in South saying they barely had Unlike those fleeing to oth-
But it hasn't worked out like try have forced many to Florida with their third child. enough to eat in Venezu- er South American coun-
she expected. The weeks conclude that their future is The situation in Venezuela, ela. tries, the Venezuelans who
turned into months and overseas. "It is beyond what meanwhile, only got worse. A fearful Villalonga never have come to the U.S. tend
then years. As Venezuela anyone ever imagined," Chavez died and was re- went back, even for impor- to be from the middle and
started a massive down- said Veronica Huerta, a placed by his hand-picked tant family milestones like upper classes, and their
ward spiral, she and many 57-year-old in Miami who successor, Nicolas Madu- the death of her brother. departures have had eco-
other Venezuelans put fled in 2003. "To go back ro. The government grew People who study immi- nomic repercussions in their
down deeper roots in the now would be very hard." increasingly authoritar- grant trends in the United homeland. Many homes in
U.S. Venezuela are empty and
In a demographic trend real estate prices have col-
that has political and eco- lapsed, marking a change
nomic implications back in from years prior when peo-
their South American coun- ple would preserve wealth
try, a growing number say in the face of hyper-infla-
they may never return. tion by investing in prop-
"I would like to return to erty.
Venezuela like it was, but There are political conse-
that place doesn't exist quences as well. Expatri-
anymore," said Villalonga, ates had been a small,
a Florida resident who has but influential force in
helped organize voting past elections. Villalonga
among her fellow exiles. "I'll helped mobilize three bus-
never see it now." es with 180 people to vote
This is a profound shift. Ven- in the presidential elections
ezuelans used to typically of 2013, which they had
come to the U.S. to visit or to do in New Orleans be-
study. Their country offered cause Chavez closed the
its more fortunate citizens Miami consulate to punish
a lifestyle and economy the opposition-dominated
that was better than virtu- expat community. q
Judge may consider barring Peru leader from leaving country
LIMA, Peru (AP) — A Peru- quest would be considered were made over a decade Legislators had already strongman Alberto Fujimo-
vian judge will consider a if the conservative leader ago. But he agreed to step been scheduled to vote
request to bar President is impeached. Lawmakers down Wednesday, saying Thursday on whether to im- ri’s resignation after his term
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski from are slated to begin debat- he hoped the move would peach him on grounds of
leaving the country if the ing whether or not to ac- provide Peru more stability. "moral incapacity" before was marred by grave hu-
opposition-controlled con- cept Kuczynski's resignation "Tomorrow I'll be out of of- he offered to step down.
gress decides to accept later in the afternoon, cap- fice," he told supporters “A resignation can be on man rights violations. It opt-
the embattled leader's ping four months of turmoil gathered outside his resi- one’s own terms,” said
resignation. Court officials following revelations the dence in an exclusive Lima Cynthia McClintock, a spe- ed to impeach him instead.
announced Thursday they president's private consult- neighborhood Wednesday cialist in Peruvian politics
would schedule a hearing ing firm accepted $782,000 evening while covering his and professor at George Kuczynski’s resignation
if the former Wall Street in- in payments from the Bra- shoulders with the Peruvian Washington University. “It’s
vestor is officially removed zilian construction giant flag. "But I'll continue work- a real slap in the face.” makes him the first sitting
from office, at which point involved in Latin America's ing for Peru." A protracted, acrimoni-
Kuczynski would lose his biggest corruption scandal. Some lawmakers are vow- ous departure would not Latin American president
presidential immunity and Kuczynski has denied any ing to reject Kuczynski's res- be unprecedented for the
become vulnerable to wrongdoing, saying he ignation, preferring to send Andean nation. Nearly two to leave office as a conse-
prosecution. Authorities did had no involvement in the a more forceful message by decades ago, congress
not address whether the re- firm when the payments impeaching him instead. rejected former Peruvian quence of the Odebrecht
corruption scandal. The
Brazilian company has ad-
mitted to paying millions
in bribes in exchange for
lucrative public works con-
tracts in a scandal that has
embroiled some of Latin
America’s most prominent
politicians.q
