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While Venezuela continues to hit bottom, its population continues to massively exile in neighboring countries. Peru, long regarded as a host country, has recently tightened its migration policy. Its labor market is becoming increasingly saturated for Venezuelan migrants who are now turning to Chile.
In the streets of Pisco, a small town 250 kilometers south of Lima, José Gómez has just got off a van. He does not intend to linger on the spot.
This 25-year-old chef looks south: " There is more work in Chile. The economic situation is better there. Here in Peru there are fewer opportunities for Venezuelans . We are far too numerous now and we have saturated the market. We will try to return as tourists because in Venezuela we can not live anymore ". His sister Carolina accompanies him despite the difficulty of the trip: " We left with little money, the bare necessities, with a backpack and hitchhiking to avoid the bus ."
Carlos Andrès Guerrero also arrived in Pisco while walking or hitchhiking. " We walk from province to province to go to Chile because we have family there. As we are alone, at least in Chile we will have people to help us. Here in Peru the situation for us is more and more critical ". As a law student, he decided to go into exile when he was unable to pay for his studies at a private university.
In search of graduates
Yasmina Hera is a professional journalist. It is currently installed in Ecuador, but is not insensitive to the call of Chile. For her, Chile wants to attract professionals and take advantage of this migration crisis to get Venezuelans well trained. And Yasmina does not say it by chance: " We have a fellow journalist in Chile. He settled there with all his papers, his diplomas in good standing and after two months he was hired by the TV channel Teletrece. He became a reporter and made himself a good place. When there is news in Venezuela, he is sent as a special correspondent for this Chilean channel . "
►To read too: Venezuelan migration crisis: third regional meeting opens in Quito
Very meticulous, 40-year-old journalist José David Rondón organized his exile as much as possible. The latter also has good feedback on the Chilean policy with Venezuelans: " I have a cousin economist. Two weeks after arriving in Santiago, he found work. It is a matter of labor law that is respected in Chile whose economy is healthy. There is a good perception of the quality of Venezuelan professionals and a lot of recognition also for the protection granted to us Chileans fleeing the dictatorship of Pinochet. It's a set of factors .
A tougher migration policy
Yet it is not as easy as before to return to Chile for a Venezuelan migrant. José David stopped in Ecuador to enjoy the hospitality of his long-time sister. The stop has lasted longer than expected, 15 months, because the conditions of entry to get a work visa have recently been hardened by Santiago:
" If you want to get what Chile calls the democratic accountability visa that allows you to work, you have to submit a clean criminal record issued under 90 days and a passport issued from 2013. In my case for example, my passport was issued in 2008 and so I will need a new one. The problem is that it is very difficult to obtain this document in Venezuela and I wonder if my country does not do it on purpose to slow the migration . "
►Read more: [Reportage] Chile: Venezuelans stranded at borders waiting for visas
José David, like many migrants, wants the governments of the region to review their policies to help migrants a bit more: " We ask the countries that support us, the Organization of American States, the Lima Group to sit down in a table to review their policies regarding Venezuelan migrants, to understand that we need to simplify the procedures even if we understand that each country wishes to maintain its migration policy ".