US Supports Program to Settle Venezuelan Migrants in Brazil
2020-02-01
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1United States and United Nations agencies launched a program this week to help tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants settle in Brazil.
2The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration (IOM) are leading the effort.
3USAID officials said the agency will provide $4 million to support the program.
4The money will help Venezuelan migrants get official employment, business training and language classes.
5Venezuela is a Spanish-speaking nation while Brazil is a Portuguese-speaking country.
6About 4.6 million Venezuelans have fled the political and economic crisis in that country.
7Almost 900,000 have crossed the border into Brazil since 2018.
8The Brazilian government says they are still entering Brazil at an average rate of 500 a day.
9Most have continued on to other Spanish-speaking countries.
10But 264,000 Venezuelans have applied to stay in Brazil.
11As a result, social services in the Brazilian border state of Roraima have struggled to deal with immigrants.
12The program supported by USAID and the IOM will work with the Brazilian military's efforts to move Venezuelan immigrants to cities further south.
13Migrants will have more opportunities for sustainable work and a new life there.
14The program is called Economic Integration of Vulnerable Nationals from Venezuela in Brazil.
15John Barsa, USAID assistant administrator for Latin America, launched the program in Brazil's capital, Brasilia.
16He said it is not a long-term answer, but provides needed help until stability returns to Venezuela.
17He added, "That will only happen when the illegitimate Maduro regime is no longer in power."
18U.S. President Donald Trump's administration supports opposition leader Juan Guaidó rather than Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
19USAID said it has already provided nearly $15 million to support Venezuelans in Brazil.
20The Trump administration lowered the number of refugees from any country it will permit to resettle in the United States in 2020 to 18,000.
21That is the lowest level in the history of the modern refugee program.
22Army Colonel George Kanaan oversees the border processing operation.
23He said since April 2019, Brazil has moved 27,222 Venezuelan refugees and migrants to southern cities.
24Jose Angel Perez and his family are among those refugees.
25Perez was an oil truck driver for state oil company PDVSA in Anaco in eastern Venezuela.
26He is hoping the new program will help find him work in Brazil.
27He said, "I need a job, so does my wife. We plan to stay. Change will not come quickly in Venezuela."
28I'm Jonathan Evans.
1United States and United Nations agencies launched a program this week to help tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants settle in Brazil. 2The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration (IOM) are leading the effort. 3USAID officials said the agency will provide $4 million to support the program. The money will help Venezuelan migrants get official employment, business training and language classes. Venezuela is a Spanish-speaking nation while Brazil is a Portuguese-speaking country. 4About 4.6 million Venezuelans have fled the political and economic crisis in that country. Almost 900,000 have crossed the border into Brazil since 2018. The Brazilian government says they are still entering Brazil at an average rate of 500 a day. 5Most have continued on to other Spanish-speaking countries. But 264,000 Venezuelans have applied to stay in Brazil. As a result, social services in the Brazilian border state of Roraima have struggled to deal with immigrants. 6The program supported by USAID and the IOM will work with the Brazilian military's efforts to move Venezuelan immigrants to cities further south. Migrants will have more opportunities for sustainable work and a new life there. 7The program is called Economic Integration of Vulnerable Nationals from Venezuela in Brazil. John Barsa, USAID assistant administrator for Latin America, launched the program in Brazil's capital, Brasilia. He said it is not a long-term answer, but provides needed help until stability returns to Venezuela. 8He added, "That will only happen when the illegitimate Maduro regime is no longer in power." U.S. President Donald Trump's administration supports opposition leader Juan Guaidó rather than Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. 9USAID said it has already provided nearly $15 million to support Venezuelans in Brazil. 10The Trump administration lowered the number of refugees from any country it will permit to resettle in the United States in 2020 to 18,000. That is the lowest level in the history of the modern refugee program. 11Army Colonel George Kanaan oversees the border processing operation. He said since April 2019, Brazil has moved 27,222 Venezuelan refugees and migrants to southern cities. 12Jose Angel Perez and his family are among those refugees. Perez was an oil truck driver for state oil company PDVSA in Anaco in eastern Venezuela. He is hoping the new program will help find him work in Brazil. 13He said, "I need a job, so does my wife. We plan to stay. Change will not come quickly in Venezuela." 14I'm Jonathan Evans. 15Anthony Boadle reported on this story for the Reuters news service. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 16________________________________________________________________ 17Words in This Story 18stability -n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change 19illegitimate -adj. not allowed according to rules or laws 20regime -n. a form of government; a particular government