A photo essay edited by Donald Partyka
This article is adapted from AQ’s latest issue on Latin America’s anti-corruption movement.
Brazil
Brazil: A Venezuelan migrant carries supplies near the border town of Pacaraima, Brazil. An estimated 1,000 people cross into the small border community of 15,000 every day. Mostly on foot, 168,000 Venezuelans have made their way to Brazil since 2017.
Photo: victor moriyama/bloomberg/getty
Colombia
Colombia: Paula Villamizar and Javier Ceballos are among 1.3 million Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. The duo paint portraits of iconic characters on bolívar notes to protest the economic situation at home. Hyperinflation has rendered the Venezuelan currency virtually worthless.
Photo: ivan valencia/afp/getty
In Exile at Home
In Exile at Home: The work continues for Freddy Guevara, vice president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, but from the lush residence of the Chilean ambassador in Caracas since 2017. Guevara says he will “continue to call for civil disobedience.”
Photo: fernando llano/ap
Argentina
Argentina: 2018 was the first time Venezuelans made up the majority of migrants arriving in Argentina, surpassing Paraguayans. After arriving in Buenos Aires, these musicians became founding members of Latin Vox Machine, performing on the subway and the streets of the capital to make a living.
Photo: eitan abramovich/afp/getty
Peru
Peru: Many Venezuelan migrants like Pedro Palencia, 37, have found new occupations as raspachines, or farmers collecting coca leaves. Leaving behind past lives as taxi drivers, fishermen and vendors, migrants are left with little to no autonomy in choosing their new professions. Harvesting the traditional Andean crop—which has legal uses—can be taxing for the less experienced Venezuelans.
Photo: luis robayo/afp/getty
Chile
Chile: Venezuelan-born model Andrea Díaz represented Chile in the 2018 Miss Universe pageant. Recognized by Guinness World Records for winning consecutive Miss Universe titles, Venezuela’s beauty pageants are serious business. But with the crisis, the nation is losing its beauty queens. Venezuelans have also been pageant competitors for Portugal, the Philippines, Peru and Spain, among others.
Photo: esteban felix/ap
Brazil
Brazil: Former professional boxer Jonathan Luces, 32, lives and trains on the abandoned stage that he shares with around 70 other refugees. With a constant influx of migrants, many are in crowded shelters or on the streets of Boa Vista and Pacaraima.
Photo: mauro pimentel/afp/getty
United States
United States: They left before the latest crisis, and personify another battle facing many migrants. Venezuelan entrepreneur Bella Rincon, 28, and her Argentine business partner Steven Gonzales, 27, are co-owners of Southie Coffee in Clearwater, Florida. Having arrived in the U.S. as children, they both obtained legal residency through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). 700,000 immigrants living in the United States under DACA live in fear of deportation under the current administration.
Photo: scott keeler/tampa bay times/ap
