Nicolás Maduro's decisions in economic, security and foreign affairs have led Venezuelans to suffer acts of xenophobia in other countries

Since Nicolás Maduro took office in 2013, after the death of Hugo Chávez, his decisions in economic matters, security and foreign relations have led Venezuelans to suffer acts of xenophobia in some Latin American countries. Here you can find some examples:

Increase in the minimum wage

With inflation or "widespread and sustained increase in prices of goods and services" of one million percent, according to the most recent report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), measures such as raising the minimum wage that Nicolás Maduro has made "suffocate more than private companies, deteriorates employment and production." This is explained in statements to El Nacional de Venezuela by the economist and professor at the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB, by its acronym in Spanish), Orlando Ochoa.

Leer en español: Xenofobia hacia venezolanos: El fruto de las decisiones de Nicolás Maduro

The damage begins when small and medium-sized companies can not sustain this salary, which forces them to close or cut staff, causing unemployment to grow. For example, in August of 2017, the president of the National Trade Council (Consecomercio, by its acronym in Spanish) of Venezuela, María Carolina Uzcátegui, told the newspaper La República of Colombia that 500,000 companies were lost from the 800,000 companies in 2008.

What comes next? Having no job to support their families or lead a decent life, thousands of Venezuelans end up emigrating to other countries, such as Colombia, where they compete for jobs. This has created conflicts with Colombians who aspire to the same jobs and, with this, has provoked xenophobia against Venezuelans who end up earning positions in the different companies of the country.

The gaps in security

According to a study by the organization A Window to Freedom in Venezuela, there is an overcrowding of 250% inmates. Likewise, the NGO points out in its website Panorama that in 2017, in prisons, "96.46% of the infrastructures used do not have a dining room, 62.12% do not have toilet services, 64.11% do not have water supply. potable and 98.48% does not have medical service ".

Added to this situation is that "all the dungeons of the state police, municipal and police stations of the Scientific, Criminal and Criminal Investigation Corps (CICPC, by its acronym in Spanish) are super-crowded," the director of the Venezuelan Prison Observatory, Humberto, told El Nacional de Venezuela.

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In spite of the context of the prisoners in Venezuela's prisons, Nicolás Maduro has not done anything to solve the problem that has been affecting thousands of families of those who are paying their sentences. The latest report of 2017 by Human Rights Watch noted that "corruption, poor security, deteriorating infrastructure, overcrowding, lack of sufficient personnel and inadequate training of guards have allowed armed gangs to exercise effective control of the inmates inside the jails."

Xenophobia towards Venezuelans

The massive escapes of prisoners from prisons, such as occurred in Isla Margarita, in northern Venezuela, according to El Heraldo de Colombia, in which 58 inmates escaped, mean that these people with a judicial record cross borders through other countries and end up stealing and committing all kinds of crimes. For example, the 4 Venezuelans who caught the authorities in Peru assaulting a shopping center in early August, according to Peruvian Interior Minister Mauro Medina, had a judicial record. This has made the xenophobia against Venezuelans increase.

External relationships

After the decision to launch again as president and win, Nicolás Maduro received the rejection of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, among others, as detailed in the El Salvador portal, reason why relations have deteriorated much more.

After knowing the results of the elections, many Venezuelans left the country, so, before their massive arrival in Peru, the Peruvian government decided to ask for their passport as a measure to mitigate their entry, says CNN in Spanish. The decision has been taken as an act of xenophobia. In Ecuador, NTN24 stands out, the police assault Venezuelan migrants, acts that would come to be considered as xenophobic.

LatinAmerican Post I Edwin Guerrero Nova

Translated from "Xenofobia hacia venezolanos: El fruto de las decisiones de Nicolás Maduro"