YA LEUM.72 — Ecuador border, a crisis for Venezuelans
After Peru, it was now time to get to our final destination — Colombia.
We travelled by bus, from Lima, Peru to Cali, Colombia. The trip took two days. Peru is a long country with a diversified landscape. Peru is most famous for its mountains, so I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw an immense beach with dunes in the Northern region, close to the Ecuador border.
Arriving in Ecuador was an experience that will remain with me for long time.
Since 2013 Venezuela has been undergoing a political crisis that gets worse day after day. Europeans may not realize this, though there are about 4 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants all over the world. Venezuela holds one of the biggest oil reserves of the planet, and for a long time, it has survived solely from its sale to other countries. This led to an almost inexistent industry nationwide.
In 2014, after the oil devaluation, Venezuela ran out of money, and the government ceased to buy essential goods for the population. This economic crisis has become an even bigger social and humanitarian crisis, as citizens no longer had access and couldn’t afford essential-to-life goods such as medicine, toilet paper, and above all, food! Since then, Venezuelans have fled all over Latin America.
Ever since I arrived on this side of the world, I’ve started hearing about this refugee crisis. Nevertheless, only after I arrived in Ecuador did I realize what people were talking about.
At the border, there were hundreds of families, young people, single people, and elders. All of them trying to get to Peru, Brazil, Colombia or Argentina. There were endless lines of people that did not know where to go. All packed with suitcases and bags, where they carried only a tiny fraction of the life they’ve left behind.
We talked to a few, and all of them shared a sense of restlessness and uncertainty.
Some of them told us they had walked for days, through the forest, to arrive there. And, along the way, some of their relatives had perished. Others told us they had to decide who, from their family, had to stay behind as they could not afford to flee everyone…
But their distress was far from the end. Arriving at Ecuador’s border was just another step into the unknown. There were more unknown challenges awaiting them, and even though they did not know what to expect, they had been warned about them by their relatives and friends, that had fled before them.
Poverty, low-living conditions and unemployment were waiting for most of them. However, all those scenarios were better than the hunger they’ve experienced in Venezuela.
There were always words of hope. Some were moved by confidence, others by faith, but they all believed tomorrow was going to be better. Otherwise, why were they risking the lives of their beloved ones and their owns?
Some of them told us the plans for their new life others hadn’t thought of anything yet. Some were joyful and happy to get to know us, others kept their eyes on the ground.
There was music, mobile stands with some sandwiches and overall confusion.
The chaos and uneasiness shocked me intensely. That shock is a memory that I revisit every now and then…
What happened next?
Where are they?
How are they managing to live nowadays?
Lots of them would have to wait for days to cross the border because, unlike us, they were sent to a different line.
After five hours, we got through the border, where there was a bus waiting for us to continue our trip to Colombia.
We kept on going, they stayed.
Still in shock, we got inside the bus and continued our journey, incredulous by what we had just witnessed.
A refugee crisis, they said in the news.
To me, it was the collapse of a country, the government’s greed and the world’s inefficiency that forced Venezuelans to flee their homes to survive.
June 2018,
Patricia Assis
