After Darién, Venezuelan migrants take the maritime route to T&T

The following article by Angel Morillo was published on the website of the CELAM Center for Communication. It has been translated from the original Spanish language. CELAM is the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council of Catholic bishops.

Fr Jesús Eduardo Villarroel is the coordinator of the ecclesial network of migration, trafficking, refuge, displacement, and refuge ‘Clamor’ in Venezuela. On December 18, International Migrant Day, Panamanian immigration authorities have revealed that nearly half a million people have crossed the dangerous Darién Gap, mostly Venezuelans.
Regarding the topic, in which the socialist regime in power argues that it is a narrative, Fr Villarroel talks about another of the routes through which his compatriots flee the crisis and it is as dangerous as the one in Darién: Carúpano- Güiria, the maritime route that thousands of Venezuelans take to Trinidad and Tobago.

Q: What can you tell us about this port region?

“Carúpano has a maritime border in the state of Sucre, the most impoverished in Venezuela, in the interior, somewhat far from the capital and that makes the economic factor another risk for the migration of our people.
It is an area in which historically people have always migrated to Trinidad and Tobago. It has been a pendulum migration, but in this case with the Venezuelan crisis it has worsened and there are already many, many people who migrate, especially young people.
It should be noted that they are not only young people from this region, but from the entire national territory who submit to a very dangerous border, because they are in small boats that we call peñeros, without security, without vests, many times overweight.
There have been four shipwrecks that have occurred since 2019, with more than 100 missing. I remember that in December 2022 the bodies appeared. That shocked people a lot.

Q: What services are provided?

“We have two transit houses for migrants, one in Güiria, which is the maritime border, and another in Carúpano where cases are referred for specialised care.
There, a multidisciplinary team made up of psychologists, social workers, doctors, gynaecologists. We provide care from reception, food, hydration, lodging, protection.

Fr Jesús Eduardo Villarroel

We currently serve all deportees and returnees travelling from Trinidad and Tobago. By the way, it’s very frequent. We also provide trafficking prevention services. In the midst of the community, we offer livelihoods so that young people do not migrate, like courses in pastry, bakery, chocolate-making, pharmacy assistant and this has been widely accepted.

Q: What call do you make to the authorities to act on the matter?

“To Trinidad and Tobago, in general, not only to the government, but to everyone, I call for awareness in the face of pain, due to the growing xenophobia; I call for good treatment, welcome and reception of our migrant brothers. Migrating is not a crime, none of us are illegal, no one is illegal.
But I also appeal to those who migrate. Weigh the consequences and see the risks along this maritime border. Despite all the difficulties, there is always the hope of betting on Venezuela, building the kingdom of God.
The Church always has its doors open to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate, which is the call made by Pope Francis. In our diocese, we accompany many orphans, the result of shipwrecks.
Our way of acting is through the consolation of mercy. Being artisans of mercy, we weave bonds of friendship to form a community, therefore, one of the flags of Cáritas Carúpano is the livelihood and empowerment of our population, moving beyond welfare to the culture of encounter.”