Donatella gazed out her dad's olive-green Jeep window on the way to the airport. It was August 2019. In her mind, Caracas was the beloved city that shaped her; in reality, it was a city ruled by chaos. Regardless, Donatella relished the muddied beauty of a city she found so hard to enjoy; After all, she did not have plans to return ever again. A shame.
Donatella's parents, Yiralit Romero and Alfredo Gonzalez were proud of their only daughter. Her accomplishments drove her to a new chapter in her life. The only issue: this new chapter implied living apart on two distant continents. The cocktail of emotions experienced when Luis Alfredo, their oldest son, left Venezuela in 2016 resurfaced. The creeping thought she would never come back haunted them. Yiralit gave Donatella a handkerchief with embroidered flowers passed down from her grandmother and said, "know you can always come back because this is your home." But her mother was unaware that Venezuela was not Donatella's home anymore– at least, not in her eyes.
Donatella Gonzalez hold her most valued reminders of her country, Venezuela in her Paris apartment. Photography by Sophia Rodriguez on Friday April 22, 2022.
Over 6 million refugees and migrants have escaped Venezuela's political turmoil, socio-economic instability, and humanitarian crisis, as estimated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The harsh political and economic downturn of 2014 led to the most significant migration movement recorded in South American history. This subject is close to my heart because my family blew to bits by this exodus. I have family members scattered around the globe: Panama, Spain, the U.S, Scotland, and a few in Venezuela. Some I haven't seen in over five years. Families splitting is a burden almost all Venezuelans carry. And it is a direct result of the dictatorship.
Venezuela, possessing the world's richest petroleum reserves, was expected to be South America's powerhouse over two decades ago. A money-making machine where citizens prospered. Located at the northern end of South America, surrounded by Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana, Venezuela has a spectacular climate ranging from tropical to alpine and dreamy landscapes alluding to heaven on earth. It contains a vast range of ecosystems, from mountains to rainforests, savannas, and coral reefs. So, why would Donatella flee this paradise?
In 1998 Hugo Chavez Frias seized power following a coup. The media portrayed him as a hero to the masses, but behind the scenes, he encouraged corruption amongst public servants by bribing the military and government officials. Before long, his socialist ideals captivated the poor, Venezuela's most prominent social class, which diminished the possibility of voting Chavez out. As a result, Chavez died in office, and Vice President Nicolas Maduro replaced him in 2013. Unlike Chavez, however, Maduro had limited support and popularity from citizens due to his mismanagement of the economic crisis.
As inflation skyrockets, the Venezuelan Bolívar, the official currency, continues a rampant depreciation. In 2019 inflation averaged 19,906%, according to Focus Economics, which estimates about two-thirds of all transactions in Venezuela are made in U.S. dollars to slightly mitigate citizens' compulsion to spend savings before the further devaluation.
In 2020, the United States indicted Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and members of his inner circle for narcoterrorism. "As Venezuela's economy declined, it created a subjacent economy of drug trafficking," explained Bernardo Jurado, a retired Navy captain, and freelance international political analyst. Jurado continues, "42% of Colombia's cocaine production passes through Venezuela, where it is washed and exported to different countries, including the United States." Chavez and his cabinet failed their position's expectations. Jurado encountered the dictator many times during his presidency and states, "Chavez would hide his ignorance and lack of knowledge, violent nature, and corrupt mind." As a result, Jurado solicited retirement from the navy after refusing to conform to part of the communist politics of Hugo Chavez. His retirement came as a shock to everyone. So much so that Chavez met with Jurado personally to change his mind. Still, Jurado refused and fled Venezuela in 2006 after the regime placed a capture order and sentenced him to 30 years in prison. On February 1, he arrived in Miami, Florida, dressed in the same suit from five days earlier and nothing else. He applied for asylum in the U.S., presented evidence, collaborated with FBI and CIA investigations, and is now a citizen of the United States. His oldest son Roberto lives in Mexico, and his youngest son Ricardo lives in Orlando with his girlfriend. His mother and four brothers still live in Venezuela. Even though he acknowledges once having a very comfortable life in Venezuela, Jurado does not conceal his disdain, saying, "a country without power or water, completely inoperative. What part of the garbage am I supposed to miss?"
Yiralit and Alfredo's primary source of income stemmed from an electronic store they owned for 12 years. "At one point, we were changing item prices every three days," Donatella recalls this happened around 2017. The store no longer brought in revenue. People have no money for their needs, let alone their wants. Amid the frustration, Donatella applied to work at a local school as an English tutor. "My salary would buy me a hamburger, and then it was all gone," she recalls. At least, she said, the job distracted her from the scarcity around her. Because she lived with her parents, she did not worry about paying rent, utilities, or car insurance. Not every Venezuelan is so fortunate.
Paola Rodriguez, a 29-year-old Venezuelan, portrays the harm hyperinflation inflicted upon the youth, despite their education levels. Between 2017 and 2018, after receiving her bachelor's degree in business and administration at Metropolitan University, she worked two jobs and gained a monthly income of 150 U.S. dollars. She was a full-time account manager and a marketing strategist at a creative studio. "My sister spent a few months in Miami and accomplished many goals. When she returned, I realized I was not okay emotionally. I was frustrated with my personal life and work. I had been working so long for many goals, yet I was so far." Paola struggled to travel outside of the country, save up, and move out of her parent's house. She felt trapped as if she could not break through a limiting ceiling above her head. In 2018 Paola moved to Miami with her parents and her younger sister. Her older sister lives alone in Michigan.
Fatigued by the dictatorship, Venezuelans took to the streets and protested heavily in 2014. The military shot civilians causing violent protests. Guarimbas, or civilian-built street barricades, disrupted routines nationwide. It was the outcry of a furious country. Classes were interrupted, and students missed months of school. For example, 21-year-old Eugenia Camacho's eighth-grade class was evacuated to the school's field after a gas bomb landed in the cafeteria annexed to her building. Lying on the grass, she recalls "girls using a towel to cover their face in Maalox," a white liquid for sensitive stomachs that repels the bomb's gas. Eugenia's nuclear family lives in Boston, Massachusetts, but she has extended family members in Canada and Miami.
The government's ineptitude has forced its citizens to flee by any means necessary. Marianna Cardona-Diaz, an immigration lawyer in the United States with 22 years of experience, says, "95% of my clients are Venezuelan." Marianna moved from Venezuela to Miami in 1995, where she lives with her family, except for one sibling living in Atlanta.
Several options exist to migrate legally to the U.S.; these include investor visas, extraordinary ability visas, and student visas. However, these all require large sums of money. "Refugees who cross the border do not even care about their status. They come here with nothing; no clothes, no money, and they must start from zero." Despite the hardships, Marianna emphasizes that in the United States, families can reestablish themselves because "if their status is approved, then the whole family can work and children can study legally; eventually they would receive the Green Card," or permanent residency.
Luis Alfredo, a 28-year-old, encapsulates his migration efforts as a "bet on his future" since Venezuela could not meet the demands of its ambitious youth. As a result, he moved from Venezuela to Miami in 2016, reuniting with his parents once they moved in 2021. So, why is Donatella alone in France?
After graduating high school, Donatella committed to learning French at La Alianza Francesa, a French cultural center in Venezuela. Here she was introduced to the well-known au pair program, which she identified as the most effective migration plan. As a result, Donatella moved to Alsace, France, with her assigned family once her legal documents were processed. She worked Monday to Friday for 5 hours daily, making 85 euros weekly.
Aurelianne Pantoja is another Venezuelan who moved to Paris, France, in 2018 as an au pair. She describes this exchange relationship as an "easy" route to move abroad. "I would recommend this as an entrance, only a year to learn French and gain money to establish yourself abroad."
Fortunately, Donatella did not pay rent, her phone, health insurance, or food because her host parents provided those services. The exchange relationship presented Donatella with a fan of opportunities abroad, and the host parents received childcare at a fraction of the price a local babysitter charges. Both parties compromise to enjoy the perks the other has to offer.
As the honeymoon phase declined, Donatella's host parents judged her differing cultural identity. "The French have conscious food consumption habits," Donatella says. If her host parents saw her eat larger portions, they would refer to her as an "American girl," implying she had unhealthy eating habits. She mostly clashed with the host mom, who had anger issues and often disrespected Donatella. Eventually, after much introspection, Donatella lifted the guilt from her shoulders, realizing these were cultural shocks.
As a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, her host parents attempted to cut Donatella's salary. Desperate, she refused to compromise her professional integrity and filed a rematch to work for a different family. The new host parents and their two boys, ages three and five, lived in Sartrouville, a commune in the suburbs of Paris. Here, she felt at ease and understood. "The parents were busy professionals; they barely had time for their children, nevertheless, to treat me as a third child." Donatella also enjoyed the pay raise they offered, now gaining 100 euros weekly.
Donatella concluded the au pair program in 2021 and moved to a studio apartment in Paris. She enrolled in university and is fulfilling her dream of receiving a higher education abroad. Alfredo Gonzalez states, "Immigration is not easy; I have a sister in Argentina, another in Madrid. We used to be together in Venezuela, and now we are worldwide. It's not fair having to be separated, but it is our fate." Venezuelan families know the struggle of being apart all too well. Yet, they manage to see the positive side to the equation.
Donatella Gonzalez’ shelf above her desk showcasing family photographs and Venezuelan emblems in her Paris apartment. Photography by Sophia Rodriguez on Friday April 22, 2022.
Mariale Perez, Donatella's aunt from her mom's side, got married in 2015 and immediately moved to Chile. However, in 2021, they moved again after protests broke out in Chile. "Better safe than sorry," Mariale said. The protests reminded her of the political instability in Venezuela, so she embarked on a four-thousand-mile trip to reunite with her sister. Being alone with her husband had been challenging, so having her older sister, Yiralit, in Miami also influenced her decision to move again. Her mother and sister are in Brazil. Mariale studied business and administration and worked with acclaimed Venezuelan companies. Currently, she is a housekeeping supervisor, but she does not get discouraged by what the future has in store for her. "Venezuelans are characterized as being hard workers. It is normal to feel frustrated, but I know this change is transitory, so we must prepare ourselves daily for all the good that is on its way."
Most Venezuelans do not wish to return despite their nostalgia for the country. "Even though Venezuela is my motherland, I don't feel like it is my home because none of my family lives there anymore," says Donatella. The only reason she would go back is to get Daiki, her male Yorkshire, currently under her uncle's care. Even then, she hesitates if her dog is worth the trip. After all, as Bernardo Jurado states, "Venezuelans leave their country in search of economic freedom, freedom of thought, and freedom of opinion," all of which are unattainable in Venezuela. As many Venezuelans chanted during their times of protest, "pa' lante!" which translates to "go forward."