Venezuela a country in need of neighbouring support

Please continue to pray for the ongoing situation of mass migration from Venezuela to the region. Pray for our partner churches as many of them seek to find the best way to support migrants seeking a better life in different countries or transiting through. Bishop Silvio Cevallos of the United Evangelical Methodist Church in Ecuador tells us about the current reality of 200,000 Venezuelan migrants currently in Ecuador:

 “The reality in Ecuador regarding Venezuelan migrants is similar to Colombia. By the end of 2018 200,000 people arrived into Ecuador and 800,00 have transited through the country en route to Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.

 The reality for them has become more difficult in 2019. Many Venezuelans have not been able to find a job or if they have their salaries are low and they are exploited everywhere. Another reality is that hundreds of Venezuelan migrants are seeking refuge in bus terminals (for domestic bus routes) and trying to raise enough money to continue their journey across the country. One of the busiest places for this is the terminal of Carcelen in the north of Quito. It is the main place of arrival for people traveling from the border with Colombia.

 It is sad to see men or women, carrying children in their arms, at the northern entrance of the City of Quito, begging for a meal or for money to continue their journey. Those in Venezuela who are denying the crisis and say that every Venezuelan leaving the country is leaving with 5,000 US dollars in their pocket. The reality is that they do not even have enough money for a bus ticket. On the streets they manage to get money for food or basic necessities. Venezuelan men and women sell sweets, chocolates, pastries in urban and municipal buses to earn some money.  

 At the beginning of this crisis, we were working with the Ecuadorian Ecumenical Fraternity to collect non-perishable food and deliver it to the domestic bus terminal or to the welcomes centres in the municipality of Quito. We also promoted an awareness campaign to collect food from local churches and we spent our own national funds to buy food (non-perishable food, toothbrushes, nappies). We went out to deliver this to the Venezuelans most in need.

 At the beginning of this year, the situation for Venezuelans was more critical, since there were many outbreaks of violence in Quito, Cuenca, and Ibarra, due to violent crimes committed by a very small minority of Venezuelans. The actions of a few have led to shock and anger in Ecuador, to the extent that the City of Ibarra (where these crimes were committed) expelled all Venezuelans by force. Something similar happened in Cuenca and the Government has now established measures to limit the migratory flow.Over the weeks exceptions have been made to these measures, the migratory flow continues and as a result the situation of poverty continues.

 In our government hospitals there are migrant families staying in hospital corridors because they have nowhere to go. One of our churches in Quito has a weekly help program to take cooked foodto all the people who are in those places and for the relatives of hospitalized patients.

 The migratory flow continues. Yesterday I was at the bus terminal of Carcelen and there were dozens of migrants asking for money for food or their bus ticket.”