it was Not a donor conference, but in the face of a migration crisis of the magnitude of the venezuelan —the greatest on the planet that does not have as its origin a war or a natural disaster— the flow of money is always welcome. The christened as International Conference of Solidarity with Venezuela, sponsored by the EU, the UN Agency for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration, has ended this Tuesday with a € 120 million committed to alleviate the consequences of the exodus. “It is a remarkable effort”, stressed the head of the diplomacy community, Federica Mogherini.
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The money is intended to be a ball of oxygen for the countries that have received 4.5 million venezuelans who have left their country. The majority has sought refuge in the States of the region such as Colombia (1.4 million), Peru (860.000), Chile (371.000), Ecuador (330.000), and Brazil (212,000 people). In some cities, services, medical, educational, and humanitarian have absorbed the shock to harsh penalties. And coexistence with local communities presents fissures through which it pours the xenophobia against newcomers.
The future prospects are not much better. The special envoy of the UN, the guatemalan Eduardo Stein, estimates that in 2024 the number of venezuelans displaced persons could exceed 5.6 million of Syria and rise up to 6.5 million. The equivalent to the entire population of Paraguay, a country of around 30 million inhabitants.
The EU sees the meeting of these last two days in Brussels as an impetus to put the focus on Venezuela and not to repeat the mistakes of the past. “As europeans know it very well. If we had invested a little to support the crisis of the syrian refugees, or other crisis of migrants at the beginning of the process, not only would we have saved lives, but we would have saved money,” said the High Representative of EU Foreign Policy. Brussels fears the destabilization of a destination for investments in europe and Latin america, or that derive a part of the migration to the Old continent in a moment in which the forces of the extreme right trying to keep the issue in the epicenter of the political chessboard to monetize electorally.
In a meeting with journalists in Brussels, sources americans rated the conference a “success” by moving to the venezuelan people the message that they are not alone and recognize the roots of crisis policies. USA combines a get-tough policy with the regime of Nicolás Maduro, against the that apply sanctions to stifle their economy, with a timely support to humanitarian organizations local. Despite the fact that the crisis has been stalled, and the proclamation of John Guaidó has not served to remove Maduro from power, Washington welcomes the fact that 56 countries have recognized Guaidó.
Venezuela was not invited to the event, but since Caracas has been observed with misgivings that he would participate “Governments that block the venezuelan economy, generating suffering and migration, steal resources, and they threaten to isolate and attack Venezuela” in the words of Foreign minister Maduro, Jorge Arreaza, dedicated to the united STATES.
With the crisis without likely to be resolved in the short term, the UN has warned that the financing needs will be higher. Stein estimated at about 1,500 million, the amount needed in 2024 to cater to the millions of venezuelans who have fled before the financial hardship. The sum doubles the that the UN called last year, is still incomplete as they have so far raised a little more than half. “The challenges in 2024 will be even greater in 2019”, he warned.
