According to UN figures, more than 4.3 million Venezuelans have left their country since 2015, fleeing a country ravaged by an unprecedented crisis. The figure places the Venezuelan exodus second in the world, after that of the Syrians.
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To leave or not to leave? The question haunts Venezuela. "I say that those who leave are traitors to the fatherland", launches Ivan Teran, who sells salads in a rusty cart on the Coche market in the popular south of Caracas. The subject raises an uproar: "The fatherland has become a hell," retorts a customer. "I would leave if I did not have three young children," add another. Ivan questions: "If everyone leaves, how are things going to change? "They will not change," responds the first customer.
According to UN figures, more than 4.3 million Venezuelans have left their country since 2015, fleeing a country ravaged by an unprecedented crisis. The figure places the Venezuelan exodus second in the world, after that of the Syrians. "It is a record for a country that is not at war and has not experienced a major natural disaster," notes Christian Kruger, director of Colombian migration services.
Land of oil and immigration, Venezuela has welcomed in the past hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans. According to Caracas estimates, more than 3 million Colombians still live there. But, back in history, the inegalitarian and still violent Colombia is now a figure of eldorado or at least refuge. The living conditions of 1.4 million Venezuelan migrants are precarious. "I live badly but I do not want to suffer the humiliation of xenophobia", explains Ivan.
The most affluent Venezuelans were the first to leave, for many in Madrid or Miami. The young graduates followed. Then the exodus became general. All of South America is concerned. Five thousand people a day leave Venezuela on average, according to international organizations. In June, the Organization of American States reported that the number of Venezuelans abroad could reach 7.5 million by the end of 2020. "How are we going to rebuild the country, if all the best-trained young people have left or want to leave? " worries Sayed. Meanwhile, Venezuelans from abroad send money to their families. In a country where the minimum wage is less than $ 2, $ 100 changes your life. These remesas, whose overall amount is difficult to estimate, help to avoid the humanitarian disaster.
