Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 28 February 2019
Next year in Caracas? Venezuelans hope exile will end soon

By CHRISTINE ARMARIO he would like to open a
GISELA SALOMON business in Venezuela as he
Associated Press did 10 years ago when he
CUCUTA, Colombia (AP) — set up three vocal training
Next year in Caracas? studios. He closed them in
As Venezuela's opposition 2013 as the country's eco-
rekindles street protests and nomic crisis began to sink
builds powerful internation- in.
al support, the millions who "I'd return to invest," he said.
fled are redirecting their "But to live, no. It would
gaze toward their beloved mean starting from scratch
homeland in hopes that again. I have my family
their exile will prove short- here and it's just not fea-
lived. sible."
Diomira Becerra has been Others, like Gabriela Alva-
watching the events un- rez, 32, who has lived in Ma-
fold from Colombia, eye- drid for the last two years,
ing every development envision themselves return-
for a hint of how soon she ing but want more than just
might be able to pack her political change. She said
bags. She left three years she'd want Venezuela's
ago and has built a life for crime rate— among the
her family in the border city highest in the world — to
of Cucuta. But the country In this Feb. 8, 2019 file photo, Venezuela's self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido speaks during improve and to be assured
that took them in has never a meeting with university students at the Central University of Venezuela, in Caracas, Venezuela. that she and her family
quite felt like home. Associated Press could get adequate medi-
"I don't know how it's going cal care.
to happen, but next Christ- mas back home with rela- even be returning to the still have fresh memories of "Venezuela needs us," said
mas will be in Venezuela," tives they haven't seen in same country. Venezuela and want to put Alvarez, who used to work
Becerra said. years, they are also steeling "It has been 20 years of their knowledge to use. as a producer at a Ven-
The high expectations of themselves for the possibil- this," she said. "How do you "There is a lot of interna- ezuelan television channel.
an exile community that ity that Nicolas Maduro will change 20 years?" tional know-how waiting "The best thing we could do
is over 3 million strong are manage to keep his grip Venezuelans began fleeing outside Venezuela," said is return to help the country
fueling a renewed push on power. One month af- two decades ago, when Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez, recover."
from abroad to bring ter opposition leader Juan revolutionary Hugo Chavez a Venezuela expert who Venezuelans abroad are
about change in Venezu- Guaido declared himself rose to power, in a familiar teaches at Northwestern already playing a key role
ela. Some like Becerra are Venezuela's interim presi- pattern: Those with money University. in helping Guaido con-
tempted to return already, dent, the military has shown and connections fled first, Past experience shows that solidate his position as the
wanting to join in protests. little sign that it plans to re- often to the United States, once a Latin American country's interim president.
Others, like exiled lawmaker volt against Maduro. while the poorer left later, émigré has been abroad In the years leading up to
Gaby Arellano, are playing At least four people were by bus and on foot to Co- for more than five years, his proclamation in Janu-
a key role in collecting hu- killed and 300 injured over lombia. they are very unlikely to re- ary, dozens of opposition
manitarian aid. Even many the weekend when clashes The exodus of Venezuelans turn, said Manuel Orozco, leaders fled under the
who left long ago and can- broke out between state is now one of the larg- director of the Migration, threat of arrest.
not see themselves return- security forces, armed pro- est mass migrations in the Remittances and Devel- They used their platform
ing have begun imagining government groups and world — an estimated 5,000 opment Program at The outside Venezuela to raise
how they might contribute the opposition as they tried cross into Colombia every Inter-American Dialogue in awareness with interna-
to Venezuela's recovery. to bring food and medical day, about the same size Washington. tional leaders and are now
"I want to put in my little supplies into the country. as the entire migrant cara- But other countries that helping execute Guaido's
grain of sand," said Pedro Like the exile group they van from Central America have experienced pro- mandates, like findings
Morales, a gastroenterolo- most resemble — Cu- to the U.S. last fall. The Unit- tracted domestic conflicts ways to gather humanitar-
gist who has lived in Miami bans— Venezuelans are all ed Nations estimates there saw a boom in remittances ian aid.
for over two decades. too aware that their current are 3.4 million Venezuelans once political stability was "Exile feels isolating, but
In the throes of an econom- status as emigres could be- abroad, a conservative as- restored and Venezuela we've been able to rein-
ic downturn worse than come a permanent condi- sessment based on govern- could too, if a more effec- vent ourselves," said exiled
the U.S. Great Depression, tion. Cubans for decades ment figures, though the tive payment network is es- lawmaker turned activist
Venezuela will need the toasted to "Next year in actual number could be as tablished, Orozco said. Still, Arellano.
knowledge, contacts and Cuba," a cry that is uttered high as 5.5 million. he warned, it will fall short Becerra, who can see
financial resources many less and less as their exile A study of 2013 Census Bu- of what is needed by a na- the Venezuelan moun-
exiles took with them. One from the communist island reau data by the Pew His- tion in such dire straits. tains from her new home
prominent economist pre- drags into its 60th year. panic Center found that "The diaspora think they in Cucuta, said her young
dicts Venezuela will need a Each time Becerra gets the Venezuelans in the U.S. can just come and redo daughter Hillary often asks
$60 billion cash infusion just urge to pack her bags, she have higher levels of edu- the country in a short pe- when they can go back.
to begin a turnaround. At talks herself out of it. Her cation than the general riod of time — it's just not She was 4 when they left,
least a small portion of that daughter and mother, a population and a higher going to be that way," he but has idyllic childhood
could come from exiles ea- cancer patient, are com- median income than most said. memories of her homeland.
ger to invest in Venezuelan fortable in Colombia. An Latinos in the country, an Frank Carreno, an actor Becerra struggles with
businesses, send remittanc- opposition activist, she indicator of the skill sets and businessman, said that how to respond: "How do
es or buy property. wonders if pro-Maduro and capital they can con- after 15 years in Miami, I explain to my 7-year-old
And yet even as Venezue- compatriots might still hold tribute to their homeland. where his immediate fam- daughter that the country
lans like Becerra daydream a grudge against her. In her Unlike the Cubans who ily is now all located, he she remembers doesn't ex-
of spending next Christ- mind, she questions if she'd fled decades ago, many wouldn't move back. But ist anymore?"q