Sarah Carabott spoke to an asylum seeker from Venezuela, whose brother was killed for protesting in a country rife with abuse of power, violence and shortages

Unless bombs are being dropped on Venezuela, the world will not care that the people there are suffering food and medicine shortages and risking their lives, according to Patrizia*, who is seeking asylum in Malta.

Last year, the former Venezuelan shop owner fled political tension and civil unrest that cost her brother his life.

As she recalls the months that led to his death soon after her establishments were expropriated, she explains that the siblings formed part of a resistance group.

Venezuela is experiencing an economic and social crisis, with the EU this month announcing new sanctions on seven senior Venezuelan officials, as an expression of concern over the country’s political situation. The move introduces a travel ban and an asset freeze on people in charge of security forces accused of widespread abuses, particularly during the 2017 anti-government protests.

“Young children are dying of malnutrition and the hospitals are bare of any medicines. But what the city lacks in basic necessities, it makes up in the number of government thugs,” Patrizia told this newspaper with tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Whenever we took to the streets and called out the government on corruption, we covered our faces. But the thugs had infiltrated our own group and we didn’t realise there was a mole among us,” she says, pausing to compose herself.

Her brother was soon arrested and killed. 

“That is how the authorities react to our protests: they take what is ours, and when that doesn’t shut us up, they take our lives.”

I went from owning shops in Venezuela to cleaning shops over here, but I’m grateful for the safety I could be provided in Malta

When the family asked for justice, her late brother’s son was banned from travelling abroad. The police were of no help, she said when asked whether there was any authority in the country that could challenge the government’s decisions.

The violence in the capital, Caracas, has scarred her for life – mentally and emotionally, but also physically she says, showing scars that have been covered up with tattoos.

Patrizia is still waiting to hear about her asylum application in Malta but she wants to raise awareness about the insecurity in her country. She sought refuge in Malta as this was the only place where she knew someone living out of Venezuela.

Patrizia fears for her life should she be returned.

“I went from owning shops in Venezuela to cleaning shops over here, but I’m grateful for the safety I could be provided in Malta. If I had the option, I would have remained in Venezuela, but I had nothing left there except for a death sentence.”

When contacted, a UNHCR Malta spokesman said that according to their records, between 2015 and 2017, there were some 39 Venezuelan nationals who applied for asylum in Malta, with 11 being granted international protection, according to government statistics.

However he noted that while every effort was made to verify the accuracy of the data, asylum data should be obtained from the Office of the Refugee Commission. 

Asked whether, considering the deteriorating situation in the country, Venezuelans were afforded differential treatment, the spokesman said there was no different treatment when assessing a case.

An asylum application is lodged with the Office of the Refugee Commission and each case is assessed on a case-per-case basis.

“A person is granted international protection, meaning refugee status or subsidiary protection, if they are found to have a well-founded fear of persecution or fleeing from a general form of violence.”

UNHCR is calling on States to protect the rights of Venezuelans, particularly the right to seek asylum and to have access to fair and effective asylum procedures.

Questions sent to the Refugee Commissioner on Thursday remained unanswered by the time this newspaper went to print.

*name has been changed

Venezuelan situation

Venezuelans seeking asylum have increased yearly since 2014. Between then and 2017, around 99,000 asylum claims were lodged, half of which in 2017 alone (as of September). The primary receiving countries were the US, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica and Panama.

Venezuelans are leaving the country for many reasons – they flee insecurity and violence, or specific threats against them by armed groups. A number of interviewed people reported having left due to fear of being targeted on account of their political opinions, real or perceived. Others are leaving due to lack of food and medicine, loss of income and lack of access to essential social services.