A knot diplomat is going to tension in brazilian city of Pacaraima, on border with Venezuela, since last day 18 a group of brazilians destroyed makeshift camps of hundreds of immigrants. The images recorded and distributed on social networks jumped into world to reveal tension between two countries. On one hand, desperate exodus of venezuela. On or, lack of preparedness of Brazil to deal with new refugees.
The straw that broke camel’s back in order to justify attack on immigrants was news that a trader of Pacaraima, Raimundo Nonato, had been robbed and beaten, allegedly by four venezuelans. The police are investigating case. Meanwhile, a 1,200 venezuelans were already expelled from attacks of inhabitants of area.
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“it is Not that we don’t want to venezuelans. What we need to do is to put criminals in your site, such as those that I was tortured. The Federal Police have to verify background of immigrants at border”, says an Unborn COUNTRY. With some stitches in head and right eye purple, says that assault you suffered is one of evidence that immigration venezuelan in State of Roraima is out of control.
In Pacaraima live 12,000 people. A few months ago, about 800 venezuelans arrive daily, without that town has sufficient infrastructure to accommodate m, which has led to rejection of refugees to grow until end of attack on camps last Saturday. “I would have done same thing,” says merchant injured.
After episode of violence, number of immigrants that crossed border has decreased. According to staff that carries out filter, long queues, daily until last week, have disappeared. The fear of being attacked has been greater than that of stay in Venezuela. Is what counts Roger, 23-year-old, who alongside his bror Joseph, 25, was looking for last Thursday of a place to spend night. Fleeing from scourge that was installed in country ruled by Nicolás Maduro, two undertook a journey of 26 hours from Puerto La Cruz, in venezuelan Caribbean, up to Pacaraima, but did not come in time to start refugee application. The center of Army that performs screening of those arriving was already closed. “We’re going to turn to venezuelan city of Santa Elena de Uairen, here to side, and find somewhere on street to sleep. Better not to risk, I do not want to damage,” explains Roger. “Since end of week, recommended that any venezuelan spend night in border or camped in Pacaraima,” he says. The next day, y returned.
The attack on camps has been episode most severe, but it is not first case of discrimination of migrants in small border town. The resentment of local population is palpable. They feel that precarization of public services has increased with demand of new users, but also for a greater feeling of insecurity. “When we go to health centers re are not spaces, are all occupied by venezuelans. Physicians, to greet you in Spanish. The last analysis of my son I had to do in a particular laboratory”, complains brazilian Fabiana J., a waitress in a coffee shop in city. Pacaraima has only two health centres and one hospital in State with a basic structure, that performs no operations.
it Seems little but minimum necessary to venezuelan as Andrea Rodriguez, 20 years old, pregnant for 36 weeks. The young man was avoiding getting to city for fear of hostility, but he could not wait any longer. Before collapse of medical services of ir city in Venezuela, you want to ask for a permission of stay of 60 days in Brazil to give birth. “Despite what happened, I have always been treated well here. Seeing how y are making things worse in my country, it is quite likely that I moved to Brazil.”
The powder keg frontier grew in face of indifference of brazilian Government, according to Jesus Fernandez, pastor of parish of Pacaraima. “The authorities took a long to react to a change so sudden, and monster of xenophobia was growing,” says parish priest who every morning prepares breakfast for hundreds of venezuelans newcomers. The religious tilda “metamorphosis terrible,” one experienced by city in past two years. For him, municipality, after end of last week outside news national and international, he lives a false calm. “It’s like a volcano that erupts. She’s calm, but can become active at any time.”
If among venezuelan people are afraid, some brazilians do not hide ir indignation, while ors make veiled threats. On night of Wednesday, THE COUNTRY saw pass by main streets of city a “peace caravan”. There were about 30 vehicles honking and waving white balloons, asking for “peace of mind” in municipality. In almost all cars had banners that questioned flow of migration in region. “We are not xenophobic. What if you were given a beating to your daughter?”, I prayed a banner. “We are brazilians with open arms, but we don’t want criminals. We’re not going to kill anyone, but, ultimately, we will make a human chain,” said Fernando Abreu, professor of Spanish, retired.
Campaign and fake news
it Is precisely this powder keg tinged with xenophobic and circulation of false news which exploit both governor of Roraima, Suely Fields, who seeks to be reelected in October elections, as primary State senator Romero Jucá, intimate ally of president Michel Fear that also aims to try to keep his seat in Senate.
The Government of Fear has already ruled out closing border, but Fields and Jucá maintain that measure is necessary and urgent, in a strategy to take advantage of feeling antivenezolano growing and trying to climb positions in polls. It seems a bet far-fetched in a State in which candidate right to presidency, Jair Bolsonaro, who already defended a refugee camp for venezuelan people, leads polls.
it Is estimated that around 127,000 venezuelans have already crossed border, half through Paracaima, fleeing scarcity of Venezuela in first six months of this year. Some came just to look for supplies and medications, but a large part has come to try to rebuild ir lives in Brazil. The Government of Fear keeps an operation in order to welcome those who come, but re is only one shelter for an indigenous population, of ethnic Warao. It is building a shelter for or immigrants, but re is not yet an opening date.
The Government is trying to encourage immigrants heading to State capital, Boa Vista, where re are 10 hostels, but, many, without resources, have to travel 210 miles away. Anor strategy, to distribute to venezuelans by or States of Brazil, works in dribs and drabs and re is no perspective of change. On a visit to Pacaraima on Thursday, minister of Public Safety, Raul Jungmann, said that Government can’t force States to accept venezuelans in full —and slow— economic recovery. “It is not an easy matter”. But he agreed that you could not gain political capital from a tragedy such as this: “The dispute policy has a limit, and that limit is dignity of people”.
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