By Mariela Nava

MARACAIBO (Venezuela) – It took Anibal Pirela, an accountant, six days and $7,000 to get from Maracaibo in Venezuela, capital of once-flourishing Zulia, Texas, to Austin, Texas.

Pirela traveled along with Daniel, his 4-year-old child, to join a flood emigrants empting Zulia neighborhoods. Zulia was the main departure point of Venezuelans fleeing crisis-stricken Venezuela.

Pirela (48), said, “The people that I know have fled the country are nearly too many to count,” from Austin, his new home. 

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), the Venezuelans being detained at their southern border by U.S. agents jumped from 1,262 to 47.762 between the preceding year and September.

Advocacy groups report that hundreds of Zulians have fled each month. But, official figures are not available for Venezuela’s 23 states.

Although the state was historically more protected from economic hardship due to the oil industry’s presence, it has now been engulfed by U.S. sanctions against OPEC members, cutting off vital income.

Reuters interviewed eight Zulia families that fled Zulia during the last two months due to a lack of services, medicine and employment.

According to former and current residents, abandoned buildings and houses are becoming more common in Maracaibo which is home to over 1.7 million people.

According to the Zulia Human Rights Commission, a non-governmental organization, half of Zulia’s households had at least one relative abroad in 2018. However this number has increased to 70% since 2019.

Juan Berrios, general coordinator of CODHEZ said that there are areas in the neighborhood where few people remain.

POWER CUTS and WATER SHORTAGES

Residents claim that Zulia is at the termination of national transmission lines for electricity and water. It experiences more outages than any other part of Venezuela.

The collapse of Venezuela’s oil industry – due in part to a series of recent U.S. sanctions https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-venezuela-sanctions-idUKKCN1B521E by the Trump administration and what critics say is state mismanagement – has led to high unemployment. Some analysts say the sanctions have exacerbated https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-sanctions/u-n-envoy-urges-u-s-to-relax-venezuela-sanctions-drawing-opposition-rebuke-idUSKBN2AC2HD the country’s worsening economic crisis.

Even workers are not paid well enough to afford living expenses, particularly for food that is imported or smuggled.

Carmen Ortega (74), cares for her eight grandchildren using the money she makes as a street sweeper.

Ortega stated that her home made of recycled cans, with dirt floors, was in “extreme poverty”. Two of our girls are begging on the streets. The girls bring some bread and people will give them flour.

Their mother has lost her job and their father is now in Colombia. Ortega stated that the family must start their day without coffee or food.

She stated, “I cry at night,”

The minimum monthly wage in Venezuela is just $3. According to the central bank, inflation reached 631% between January and November.

According to Juan Restrepo (president of the largest regional transportation union), approximately 850 people crossed from Zulia to Colombia each week before the coronavirus pandemic. About half of them returned after purchasing medical supplies and other goods.

Restrepo reported that some 2000 people now leave each week.

Many people consider the United States their final destination.

Under pressure from Washington to stem the rise in Venezuelans entering the United States illegally across the southern border, Mexico announced last week it will impose visa requirements https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-impose-visa-requirements-venezuelans-2021-12-17 for them to enter the country, though it is unclear when the measure will take effect.

LONG ROAD NORD

Maracaibo’s Altos de Milagro Norte residents claim that food insecurity is a constant problem and that the city’s fall has even affected burials.

Jose Amaya was buried by his family in a gravestone on their patio.

He stated, “The funeral house will handle it all for $170. We don’t have enough resources.”

Maria Carolina Leal, social worker Maria Carolina Leal stated that 2,200 of the residents lived in this community before the outbreak. Now only 1,500 are left.

Pirela, who was trying to get his family from Colombia to Austin sold his car. He also withdrew his pension benefits. This was sufficient to fly his 31-year-old wife Daniela Mendoza and their 12-year old daughter Paula from Colombia by plane.

Then he decided to sell his appliances and take out all his savings in order to buy himself and Daniel a number of flights to Monterrey (Mexico).

Pirela explained that the people smuggler charged him $4,400 and took them to a building with 30 other Venezuelan migrants. The majority of these were from Maracaibo.

Next morning the group drove seven hours northward to get to the border. They walked about fifteen minutes to cross Rio Bravo by foot to reach the United States.

After being met by immigration officials, he was placed in the Department of Homeland Security program which allows migrants to be released with an ankle monitor. He also handed over his passport and gave his fingerprints.

Pirela has so far had one check-in appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the first in what he says may be a long process to legalize his status. Pirela’s next appointment will take place in February.

Pirela said, “Now, I’m with family, it was beautiful,” adding that he would like a work permit.

“I must wait, because I want things to go right.