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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Elections & Politics

Between returning or staying abroad: the dilemma of Venezuelan migrants facing the political landscape

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Recent political events in Venezuela have sparked conversations among Venezuelan migrants about returning home.
  • Many migrants, like Jesús Celis in Peru, face a dilemma between returning to perceived hope and staying in established lives abroad.
  • The capture of Nicolás Maduro has created expectations, but uncertainty about Venezuela's stability keeps diaspora opinions divided.

The political developments in Venezuela have rekindled the possibility of return for millions of migrants, yet the decision remains complex for many. After years spent rebuilding their lives abroad, returning home means facing renewed uncertainty.

Jesús Celis, a 31-year-old Venezuelan living in Peru since 2018, closely follows events in his homeland but believes his future lies where he has established himself professionally and personally. "Well, right now we are a little nervous, you could say, especially because of the recent capture of Maduro. Many people are eager to return because they see a more promising future in the country," Celis told The Mirror. "You can say there is a more hopeful atmosphere, with more expectations due to what is happening, but changes don't happen overnight, right?"

Well, right now we are a little nervous, you could say, especially because of the recent capture of Maduro. Many people are eager to return because they see a more promising future in the country. You can say there is a more hopeful atmosphere, with more expectations due to what is happening, but changes don't happen overnight, right?

— Jesús CelisA Venezuelan migrant in Lima, Peru, shared his feelings about the recent political events in Venezuela and the possibility of returning.

The reported capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3rd has opened a new political scenario, generating expectations among segments of the Venezuelan diaspora. However, the lack of certainty regarding institutional and economic stability continues to divide opinions among those who left Venezuela over the past decade. Celis is part of the over 7.9 million Venezuelans who have left the country since 2014, a displacement that constitutes one of the largest contemporary migratory movements, with Latin America hosting the majority.

The hardest part of starting from scratch was getting used to leaving behind everything I knew. Everything I had done in Venezuela, and being willing to do anything to get ahead here, in another country, in another city, in another culture.

— Jesús CelisCelis described the challenges he faced when he first migrated to Peru.

Upon arriving in Lima, Celis, then in his early twenties, had no guarantees. Like many migrants, he took on informal work to cover basic needs while seeking more stable opportunities. "The hardest part of starting from scratch was getting used to leaving behind everything I knew," Celis recalled. "Everything I had done in Venezuela, and being willing to do anything to get ahead here, in another country, in another city, in another culture."

His initial income came from street vending, selling items like candy, sweets, lemonade, and coffee for about two months until he secured formal employment. His fluency in English, acquired in childhood through video games, proved crucial when he found a job opening through a Venezuelan Facebook group for a US company seeking bilingual staff. This led him to a new career path as a medical interpreter.

I arrived here selling things on the street: candy, sweets, lemonade, and coffee. I did that for about two months until I got a job.

— Jesús CelisCelis recounted his early days in Peru, relying on informal commerce to survive.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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