Those Who Travel with Their House on Their Back – Havana Times

By Caridad

HAVANA TIMES – The fog blends with the shadows of dawn. At first, they are amorphous figures, like shadows moving in search of absent bodies. As they get closer, I can decipher that they are neither ghosts nor wandering souls. They are just people with their homes on their shoulders.

What do they carry inside those suitcases, those precarious bundles that could fall apart with the first of the many downpours in this area? What family memories did they decide to leave behind because they had to choose between them and the essentials for a journey, a new life?

Are they all seeking a new life?

Crossing a border is nothing special.

Due to the economic and political crisis that has plagued the country for more than a decade, Venezuelans have been forced to emigrate en masse. Millions live abroad, and thousands more plan to leave the country as soon as they gather the necessary money to pay for transportation.

The only country in Latin America with a Humanitarian Refugee program for Venezuelans is Brazil.

Perhaps there are more Venezuelans in Colombia, Peru, or Chile, partly due to geographical proximity and language. Not everyone ventures to migrate to a country with a different language than their own.

The reality is that none of these countries has facilitated the arrival of those fleeing Venezuela. Instead, there have been deportations and xenophobia to a lesser or greater extent.

Brazil, in coordination with the UN, has made life easier for immigrants with such an important step as documentation. Without it, it is difficult to work and access public healthcare in the country.

The reception point for Venezuelans is in Pacaraima, a town that belongs to the state of Roraima. Pacaraima is just a few minutes by car from Santa Elena de Uairen, the last town in Venezuela.

Those who cross the border to try to start a new life in Brazil must spend several days in Pacaraima, completing the necessary steps to obtain their documentation, which will allow them to stay in the country of the “green-and-yellow” flag with the same duties and rights as a native, except for voting.

If you allow me, in the upcoming diary posts, I will tell you about my little adventure leaving Venezuela and processing the documentation to join Operation Welcome in Brazil.

Read more here from the diary of Caridad.