Venezuelan refugees arrive daily in Peru, having crossed more than 2,000 miles of Colombia and Ecuador. They come by car, bus and on foot. They’re part of the largest mass migration ever in the Western Hemisphere – at least 3 million displaced people over the past four years. Peru alone has taken in 700,000 people, welcoming them with relatively open arms. But the influx is straining the nation’s housing, labor and health care systems – and may permanently change Peru’s population and culture.
With Venezuela in turmoil, migrants and refugees turn to Peru
LIMA, Peru – Mirna Lajoa wants to eat. Carmen Castillo wants a place for her family to live. And Mary Salazar just wants a set of bed sheets that will fit her mattress. These women are part of what the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees calls the largest mass migration in the history of…
‘The cellphone does everything’: Smartphones, internet access are key tools of 21st century migration
LIMA, Peru – Many of the more than 700,000 Venezuelans who have fled to Peru have arrived with next to nothing: a backpack, perhaps, carrying a toothbrush, a change of clothes and, most important, a cellphone. For most, their phones are lifelines. “The Venezuelan has broken, has finished with that old adage that the best…
Venezuelan professionals find it costly, difficult to pursue careers in Peru
LIMA, Peru – When Jesus Manuel Gomez crossed the border from Ecuador into Peru in February 2018 after traveling 1,300 miles from Venezuela, his life changed markedly. In Venezuela, he was an accomplished lawyer with specialized training. “I am a lawyer with much responsibility, with a postgraduate degree in agrarian and environmental law,” said Gomez,…
Venezuelans in Peru worry that media’s focus on crime spurs lies, hatred
LIMA, Peru — “Will anything be done against the Venezuelan criminals who enter Peru?” reads the Twitter post. “I have read hundreds of news stories where they are involved in big robberies and MURDERS. Where are the rights of the Peruvian? Will they continue to protect these criminals? WILL YOU DO SOMETHING?” “Venezuelan threatens a…
Schools in Peru are under added pressure from wave of Venezuelan migrants
LIMA, Peru – Public schools across the country, already pressured by poor infrastructure and inadequate resources, face further strains from the sudden and overwhelming influx of Venezuelan school children. Education officials said they expected 34,000 Venezuelan children to enter public school at the start of the school year in March, up from 26,000 last year.…
Peru holds out some hope for Venezuelan migrants with HIV
LIMA, Peru – Sulaida Ramirez Davila sat in a support group for those with AIDS and HIV, like her son, Rafael Olivares. Tears welled up as she recalled her decision three years ago to leave Venezuela and Olivares. “I was separated from family … from my son, with the state of health he was in…
Red tape, chaos in Venezuela prevent ‘brain drain’ from aiding Peru
LIMA, Peru – Venezuela’s “brain drain” could have benefits for Peru, which has absorbed more than 700,000 Venezuelan immigrants over the past three years and suffers a serious shortage of medical professionals. But difficulties navigating the recredentialing process have prevented many Venezuelan doctors from using their skills in their new home. Dr. Jaime Parra, 37,…
Venezuelan artists strive to survive, make a difference in Peru
LIMA, Peru – It’s evident from the way he imitates the dance crew’s moves that 5-year-old Christopher Diaz loves to dance, just like his father. But right now, Francisco Diaz isn’t dancing simply for the love of it – the Venezuelan immigrant is dancing to survive. Like many others, Diaz left his home looking to…
Influx of Venezuelans sorely tests Peru’s economy and labor market
LIMA, Peru – Federal authorities face the daunting task of assessing how Peru’s economy and labor market can absorb the more than 700,000 Venezuelans who have fled their country and resettled here in the past few years. Adding to the challenge is an estimate by the International Organization for Migration that the number could grow…
As Peru welcomes Venezuelan refugees, its immigration system is overwhelmed
LIMA, Peru – As more Venezuelans fleeing the economic and political crisis in their homeland arrive daily in Peru, the Peruvian government readily acknowledges it can’t keep up with the applications for temporary or permanent residency. “The situation changed our life,” said Roxana del Águila Tuesta, Peru’s national superintendent of migrations. “Before, we didn’t have…
On the border of a new future: Young Venezuelans in Peru
TUMBES, Peru – Young people emigrating from Venezuela experience a mix of optimism and apprehension about starting new lives in Peru. One nongovernmental organization is helping them acclimate through the Friendly Spaces program at the border of Peru and Ecuador. [masterslider id=”213″] RELATED STORY: As Peru welcomes Venezuelan refugees, its immigration system is overwhelmed AlertMe
A child of two nations: Hope for ‘democracia’ in Peru spurs new parents
LIMA, Peru – The decision to leave was almost inevitable. Nersis Arrieta and Edil Aguilar had lived through the shortages, the canceled university classes, the throttling of political dissent, the grim economic reality of Venezuela. They were married and hoped for children. But as a doctor, Arrieta had seen the vaccine shortages, the lack of…
Even as they adapt to life in Peru, Venezuelans dream of returning home
LIMA, Peru – Sara Marianys Soto Duque and Yenife Alexandra Carmona Rieracda are young mothers trying to earn money to support their families. Soto, 26, and Carmona, 23, are two of the more than 700,000 Venezuelans now living in Peru. Soto arrived in October 2018 after leaving her family, including her 2-year-old son, behind in…
Sewing class in Peru is ‘home’ for Venezuelan woman
LIMA, Peru – Cleofe Jauregui has become like family to about a dozen Venezuelan refugee women who gather weekly to share stories, sew bags to sell and learn how to live life away from their home country. “To me, they are not from another country,” said Jauregui, who has been inviting refugee women to her…
About the project
Student reporters spent two semesters studying issues related to the Venezuelan refugee crisis and eight days on the ground reporting from Peru, where they were led and guided by Cronkite School faculty members.
The project was made possible by a grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Illinois nonprofit organization founded by the international photojournalist, author and philanthropist.