venezuela articles

8/13/2019 Venezuela Articles

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(6 okt 2013) Venezuela to use fingerprint gadgagainst travel scam

Use of cards abroad will only be authorised after fingerprints confirm the trip

Venezuela's government is planning to use fingerprint checks at its borders toprevent a popular travel scam

Venezuelans travelling abroad are entitled to a foreign currency allowance at acheaper rate.

But amidst the economic crisis, some are only buying travel tickets to sell dollars onthe black market and making a profit of nearly 700.

!redit cards will be activated abroad only after checking that the person has left the

country, authorities say.

Venezuela has been going through an economic crisis, with rising inflation andshortages of basic products, such as milk and toilet paper.

"ome Venezuelans are reportedly passing their credit cards to friends or family touse them abroad and then send the money back.

#fficials say there are even gangs operating the scam, known as $el raspao$ or $thescrape$, which is hurting the economy.

'!craping cards'$%hese dollars ac&uired through illicit operations, scraping credit cards, come back toVenezuela and are sold at a high price, which causes an overvaluation of the dollar,$'uan !arlos (ugarte, director)general of Venezuela*s +dministrative dentification,-igration and mmigration, told lobovision %V channel.

%he travellers allowance of up to /,000 123,4705 can be sold at nearly seven timesthe official price in the black market.

!urrently, Venezuelans have to present a ticket to a foreign country to get theapproval for their foreign currency allowance.

But many never use the tickets to travel, according to reports in the local media.

6lights are getting fully booked with months in advance, which has reportedly led toan increase in fare prices.

But the number of $no)shows$ is also said to be on the rise.

%he government says it is already testing the new fingerprinting scheme.

olice controls at airports, ports and border checkpoints would then confirm the e8it

of the passenger, authorising credit card use in foreign currency.


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!ritics say the scheme will make life unfairly harder for honest travellers.

%he Venezuelan opposition blames resident 9icolas -aduro*s policies for theeconomic crisis the country is facing.

%he government says there is an orchestrated attempt, led by the opposition, tosabotage the economy.

(" sept 2013)Venezuela's economic #oes$!abotage or mismanagement%

&heories abound in Venezuela regarding &uesda's blackout #hich affected

more than t#othirds of the countr

:hile resident 9icolas -aduro has accused political opponents of sabotaging thepower system, the opposition blames government incompetence for the largestpower cut in five years.

+s parts of the country are still facing problems with the electricity and the politicalfinger)pointing continues, many are asking ;ust how vulnerable Venezuela*sinfrastructure is.

%he capital, !aracas, is not used to the power cuts which have become &uitecommon in other regions.

#n %uesday, cash machines, traffic lights and the underground stopped working.%here was traffic chaos, with some people stuck in train carriages.

'ack of investment'*ontinue reading the main stor

&his is a government that has #on 1+ elections but it still has to besuccessful on the econom,

9elson -erentesVenezuelan 6inance -inister%housands of workers poured into the streets, with many finding it hard to make their

way down from upper floors when emergency lamps turned out to be faulty.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23970027#story_continues_2http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23970027#story_continues_2


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'ose -anuel uente, an economist at the ugo !havez*s Bolivarian? revolution,$ he e8plained.

$:hat we see now is an ine8orable conse&uence of over a decade of unbalancedeconomic policies.$

-ost supporters of the late president and his successor 9icolas -aduro would notagree with -r uente*s analysis.

But even 6inance -inister 9elson -erentes recently acknowledged that theeconomic policies followed by the government had not been successful.

:ith the underground not working, people &ueued for buses during theblackoutn a television interview broadcast on the weekend, he called for reforms to tackle

structural economic problems.

$%his is a government that has won 34 elections, that has had social achievements,$he told %V channel %eleven. $But it still has to be successful on the economy.$

-il riches"ince -r !havez came to power in 3@@@, the government has succeeded in reducingine&uality, poverty and malnutrition, according to various United 9ations and :orldBank inde8es.

>uge investment in the social sector, government subsidies and price controls on

staple foods, fuelled by revenues from Venezuela*s oil industry, have been behind itsachievements in narrowing the gap between the rich and poor.


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Venezuela has the world*s largest reserves of oil, which make up @A of thecountry*s total e8ports.

"tate)oil company (V"+ is a huge source of revenue for Venezuela%he downside to some of these social)oriented policies has been that they createddistortions in the economy, say analysts.

#ne of the most controversial policies was brought in in 00, when the government

set a fi8ed rate for foreign currency e8change.

%he move was designed to keep government control over prices and to make certainbasic items, such as bread and rice, more affordable to the poor.

.lack marketUnder the currency controls, people and businesses can receive U" dollars at theofficial rate only by applying to a government currency agency, and then only for thepurpose of importing goods or to pay for foreign travel.

*ontinue reading the main stor

&he fi/ed e/change rate is #hat has provoked most damage,

Victor +lvarez6ormer -inister of ndustry%he amount of dollars available at the official rate is restricted, causing the blackmarket to flourish.

%he official e8change rate is C.0 bolivars to the dollar. #n the black market, thee8change rate is si8 times higher.

:hile changing money on the black market is a crime, finding traders is e8tremelyeasy and Venezuelans calculate their cost of living according to the black market
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23970027#story_continues_3http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23970027#story_continues_3


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e8change rates.

$


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+ccording to the !entral Bank, the scarcity inde8 is currently at 34, meaning thatout of 300 goods, 34 are not available.

Venezuela also suffers from the highest inflation rates in Fatin +merica. rices go upregularly for items that are not subsidised and protected by the government.

ineapples used to cost 0 bolivars in -arch 1/ on the official e8change rate5, butnow they are double that.

-inimum wages have gone up, but not enough to catch up with the inflation.

$Venezuela has the worst macroeconomic indicators in the entire region,$ says -ruente. $%he lowest growth rates, the highest inflation and the highest shortagesinde8.$

$-r -erentes understands this very serious unbalance and the necessity for change.

But this is also a political problem.$

Until his death, -r !havez had been hugely popular, winning four consecutiveelections as president.

-r -aduro, who won +pril*s election by a razor)thin margin, cannot command thesame support his predecessor en;oyed.

"o far he has managed to blame many of the country*s ills on opposition sabotage,and to keep together a government plagued by internal divisions.

But with local elections coming up in (ecember, it seems unlikely he will risk pushingthrough economic reforms which, even if they could set the country on the rightcourse, might prove unpopular and cause his party to lose votes.

Migration Issues

Venezuela has traditionally been a receiving country of migrants, most from Colombia, Spain,

Italy and Portugal. Others have arrived from the Middle East, Chile, Cuba and other South

American countries. In the 1970s, Venezuela witnessed the massive arrival of foreigners due

to its growing economy and the increased price of petroleum on international markets.

Although there has been a decrease in the number of arrivals, Venezuela continues to attract

migrants, both regular and irregular, due to economic conditions in the Andean countries. The

country also receives Colombians who seek refuge in Venezuela when its armed conflict

intensifies. But also, Venezuela has become the origin of migratory flows to Europe, Canada,

Australia and some countries of Central America.

The government has set up and implemented policies to integrate migrants in society and to

protect their rights through a wide range of social programmes. The government is also

making efforts to modernize its physical infrastructure, information systems, border


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management, legislation and training of migration and law officials to prevent and combat

trafficking in persons and to facilitate international cooperation.

Movement, Emergency and Post-Crisis Migration Management

Pursuant to cooperation agreements with host countries and in close cooperation with the

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), IOM is responsible for all the

travel logistics in the resettlement of refugees, assisting them at departure and transit points.

Projects

Resettlement to Canada

Resettlement to Sweden

Resettlement to Norway

Regulating Migration

IOM Venezuela helps in the return of victims of trafficking, both national and international, to

their communities and countries of origin.

In the field of technical cooperation, IOM is helping to strengthen the institutional capacity of

the government of Venezuela to develop safe, humane migration management policies and

procedures.

Projects

Capacity Building to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Human Beings (planned)

Cooperation to Strengthen Institutional Capacities and Modernization of Migration

Policy in VenezuelaFacilitating Migration

IOM provides pre-departure orientation and assistance to migrants who travel abroad for work

or study and also to those who return to their countries of origin, offering preferential rates on

international airline tickets. IOM also has an agreement with Universidad Central de

Venezuela since 1993 for professors who travel abroad for further studies. IOM Venezuela

also works with IOM offices in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the national return and

reintegration assistance programme.

Projects

Pre-departure Orientation and Travel Assistance for Scholars

National Migration to Australia

Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration from the UK, Ireland and Spain

Immigration to Venezuela Double that of Emigration
http://venezuelanalysis.com/print/6999http://venezuelanalysis.com/print/6999http://venezuelanalysis.com/printmail/6999


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Mrida, May 21st2012 (Venezuelanalysis.com) Debate over migration as arisen in

Venezuela as o!!osition "orces argue tat many !ro"essionals, businesses, and u!!er

class residents are emigrating "rom te country, #ile tose aligned #it te government

argue tat Venezuela as become a $!ole o" attraction%, as te second igest immigrant

destination country in &out 'merica.

Upper class discontent

ecently, an 1*minute video called+aracas, +ity o" oodbyesas gone viral on -nternet

net#ors. -n te video, ligt*sinned and u!!er class young Venezuelans #o mae u! a

minority o" +aracas/ !o!ulation, tal about o# tey #ould lie to leave te country.

Venezuela/s !rivate media as also !resented re!orts about a layer o" Venezuelans #o

are $"leeing% te country. oticias2.com, an online ne#s site,re!ortedin ovember

2010, $e !ro"essionals are "leeing and te +inese and 3aitians are arriving%.

e article argued tat because o" e4!ro!riations and contractions in te economy tat

year $many ric and middle class Venezuelans% are "leeing and tere is an $e4odus o"

scientists, doctors, businessmen, and engineers%.

+onservative daily 5l 6niversalargued tat "or Venezuelan emigrants, $te 6nited &tates

is te goal%, #ere it says te Venezuelan !o!ulation as increased by 1789 over te last

ten years.

5l acional !ublised anarticlein '!ril tis year #it te eadline, $:rice and e4cangecontrols causing business migration%, and described o# toy com!any Mattel ad

announced tat it #ould close its o""ice and manage its Venezuelan maret "rom Me4ico.

Statistics

3o#ever, according to 2010 ;orld ,700


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'ccording to te 6& 3omeland &ecurity De!artment, 88.2=9 o" Venezuelan migrants

tere are under te age o" 7.

$e maority o" our emigrating yout ave been educated "or "ree by te Venezuelan

state #it education "acilities tat teir cildren #on/t "ind overseas. Many o" te

$indignant% Eor occu!iersF o" te #orld are Cuali"ied !eo!le #o can/t "ind #or,%


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-n Venezuela, a e# ;ave o"Horeigners (= nov 2010)

+''+'&, Venezuela L @n tisbooming continent,oil*ricVenezuelaiste e4ce!tionI &out 'merica/s only srining economytis year. @""icials arerationing ard currency. overnment taeovers o" !rivate businesses areincreasing. @ne !rominent "inancial analyst recently ad ust t#o #ords o" advice"or investors ereI $un a#ay.%

Many middle*class and #ealty Venezuelans ave done e4actly tat, creating aslo#*burning e4odus o" scientists, doctors, entre!reneurs and engineers. !rivate businesses tis year L including bans,cattle rances and ousing develo!ments, according to +onindustria, a Venezuelanindustrial association L !rom!ting many to see sa"er avens else#ere.

$- "eel lie - can "inally breate again,% said -vor 3eyer, , te o#ner o" a boatmanu"acturing com!any, #o recently moved is entire o!eration to +olombia, creatingmore tan 100 obs tere. $-/ve gone "rom a country #ere "ear is constant over crime andstate taeovers to a !lace tat actually #elcomes com!anies involved in someting otertan oil.%

't te oter end o" te economic s!ectrum, many ne# immigrants continue toarrive on tourist visas and overstay teir visits, dra#n by incomes tat are still igertan tose in some o" Venezuela/s neigbors and by a broad array o" social #el"are!rograms "or te !oor cam!ioned by Mr. +vez/s government.

$@ne can live #it a little bit o" dignity ere, at least enoug to send money omeno# and again,% said 5tienne Dieu*&eul, 78, a 3aitian street vendor, #o moved ere a

mont be"ore te eartCuae tat devastated 3aiti in Nanuary. '"ter te disaster, o""icialsere said tey #ould grant residence visas to te 18,000 3aitians believed to ave been
http://eeas.europa.eu/venezuela/csp/07_13_en.pdfhttp://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/SP-Discussion-papers/Labor-Market-DP/0909.pdfhttp://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/SP-Discussion-papers/Labor-Market-DP/0909.pdfhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/world/americas/01peru.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/world/americas/01peru.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/venezuela/index.html?inline=nyt-geohttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-22/venezuela-forecasts-economy-to-shrink-more-than-expected-2-5-this-year.htmlhttp://eeas.europa.eu/venezuela/csp/07_13_en.pdfhttp://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/SP-Discussion-papers/Labor-Market-DP/0909.pdfhttp://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/SP-Discussion-papers/Labor-Market-DP/0909.pdfhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/world/americas/01peru.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/venezuela/index.html?inline=nyt-geohttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-22/venezuela-forecasts-economy-to-shrink-more-than-expected-2-5-this-year.html


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ere illegally's many as "our million immigrants ave come ere "rom +olombia, according to

Nuan +arlos anus, director o" te 'ssociation o" +olombians in Venezuela. 'nd somecontinue to arrive, des!ite te !rotracted recession ere and te recent strides +olombiaas made in gro#ing its economy and "igting te rebel grou!s tat ave !lagued it "or solong.

$ere/s #or in Venezuela "or tose #o #ant it,% said 'rturo Vargas, 7?, a+olombian laborer #o moved to +aracas last year, "inding obs as a #atcman and at acicen*!rocessing !lant. $is !lace isn/t !er"ect, but it/s better tan #at - le"t beind.%

e in"lu4 is driven in !art by Venezuela/s long tradition o" lenient immigration!olicies L dating at least "rom te years a"ter ;orld ;ar --, #en te country #as amagnet "or immigrants "rom #ar*ravaged 5uro!e L and by te im!ortance o" te assettat as el!ed de"ine tis nation "or a centuryI oil.

5ven during times o" "luctuating oil !rices and institutional disarray, revenues"rom !etroleum e4!orts give Venezuela a cusion against te #rencing crises tat aveolted its neigbors in te !ast. @il money also allo#s "or a broad assortment o" im!orts,"rom &cotc #isy to ussian Bada cars, creating a large consumer society ando!!ortunities "or !eo!le to sell tings in it.

More tan 80,000 +inese ave settled in cities and to#ns across te country,#oring largely as so!ee!ers. ousands o" mercants and teir "amilies "romBebanon, &yria and Nordan ave also arrived in recent years, e4tending a tradition tatdates bac more tan a century, #en 'rab immigration began in di""erent !arts o" &out'merica.

e Middle 5astern community ere is big enoug to su!!ort te MezCuita-braim bin 'bdul*'ziz -braim, one o" &out 'merica/s largest mosCues, across testreet "rom te s!ra#ling Mission o" &aint +arbel "or Bebanese Maronite +ristians.

;ile economic reasons are !aramount, ideology !lays a small role in attractingsome immigrants ere. &ome "rom te Middle 5ast "ind a""inities #it Venezuela/scontentious !olicies to#ard -srael. ose same !olicies, combined #it "ears overviolence and economic si"ts, ave #eiged on te decisions by tousands o" Ne#s ere toemigrate.

&o many Venezuelans ave le"t tat ne#s!a!ers ere call tem $balseros del aire%L or ra"ters o" te air L a ri"" on te +uban term $balsero,% #ic re"ers to tose #o "ledon maesi"t ra"ts.


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attracting ne# #orers L is similar to #at a!!ened in 'rgentina a decade ago during

its economic crisis. 's some silled !ro"essionals le"t te country, 'rgentina remained a

magnet "or laborers "rom


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informal social networks and safety nets. n addition, the access to formal socialservices in the new host country is typically delayed until some months or years afterarrival. +t the same time, migrants might have contributed to formal social protectionsystems in their country of origin or former host countries, yet any rights to benefitsfrom these systems might cease to e8ist or substantially diminish with the arrival inthe new host country. "imilarly, any contributions made to the social protectionsystem of the new host country might be lost after the migrant departs because theassociated social rights and benefits might not be portable across internationalborders. 6inally, migrantsHin particular low)skilled, undocumented migrantsHfacechallenging labor market conditions in host countries related to cross)borderrecruitment, information asymmetries between employers andmigrants, and visa re&uirements tied to specific employers.

%he lack of access to social services and portability of social rights for migrants notonly raises concerns about vulnerabilities of migrants, but also creates distortions inlabor markets and in migration decisions. f migrants do not fully benefit from socialsecurity contributions or ta8 contributions because the associated benefits are not

accessible or not portable, they might prefer to avoid contributions and workinformally or underreportearnings. f migrants have made considerable contributions, but the ac&uired socialrights are not portable, migrantsI decision to return to the home country or to stay inthe host country might be biased towards the latter because of the e8pected incomeloss due to, for e8ample, forgone pension benefits. Fack of portability of social rightscould therefore undermine return migration and deprive origin countriesHmany ofthem developing countriesHof important beneficial development effects.%hesesubstantial and increasing migration flows raise &uestions about the socialprotection for international migrants. %he atypical lifecycle of migrants re&uiresspecial provisions for their social protection to ensure that they can ade&uatelymanage their social risks. -igrants move between countries and hence between

distinctively regulated labor markets and social protection systems, which createsspecific vulnerabilities. 9ewly arrived migrants are in a particularly vulnerable positionas they are away from their home community and have no access to importantinformal social networks and safety nets. n addition, the access to formal socialservices in the new host country is typically delayed until some months or years afterarrival. +t the same time, migrants might have contributed to formal social protectionsystems in their country of origin or former host countries, yet any rights to benefitsfrom these systems might cease to e8ist or substantially diminish with the arrival inthe new host country. "imilarly, any contributions made to the social protectionsystem of the new host country might be lost after the migrant departs because theassociated social rights and benefits might not be portable across internationalborders. 6inally, migrantsHin particular low)skilled, undocumented migrantsHface

challenging labor market conditions in host countries related to cross)borderrecruitment, information asymmetries between employers andmigrants, and visa re&uirements tied to specific employers.

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