Title: These Venezuelans left their lives behind to escape political turmoil. From L.A., they pick up the protest - Los Angeles Times
Headings: These Venezuelans left their lives behind to escape political turmoil. From L.A., they pick up the protest
These Venezuelans left their lives behind to escape political turmoil. From L.A., they pick up the protest
Leila Miller
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Content: The U.S. imposed financial sanctions on the country in early August, following an election in Venezuela to create a national assembly that would rewrite the constitution — an action opposition leaders have called an illegal power grab by President Nicolas Maduro. Millions of Venezuelans protested the move, resulting in clashes with government forces that have left more than 120 dead. Venezuelans top the list of asylum seekers in the United States, with more than 21,000 asylum applications filed in 2017 — a third more than the previous year — according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Many are fleeing government repression, food scarcities and a staggering rate of violent deaths — many involving security forces — that has led to its ranking as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. “It’s only going to increase from now,” said Moises Rendon, the associate director of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “ People can handle tear gas, and people can handle lack of food and medicine. They always find a way. “But people can’t handle going out onto the street and getting killed by criminals,” he said. Alma Rosa Nieto, Saldivia’s attorney, said many of her Venezuelan clients are upper- and middle-class professionals, and for some, “their financial situation is not the driving force, but the political situation and social unrest.” The Venezuelan embassy in Washington, D.C., did not return a request for comment.