Venezuelans Trapped in Brazilian Backwater Face Riots and Violence
- Pacaraima riots over influx of refugees. It also profits
- People camp where they can, including Edilson Barros’s yard
Clothing belonging to Venezuelan migrants hang at a temporary shelter along BR 174 highway in Pacaraima, Roraima state.
Photographer: Andre Coelho/BloombergA few weeks ago, Edilson Barros was woken by his 14-year-old son. There were people, the kid said, inhabiting the backyard. A family of a dozen Venezuelans had set up camp behind the house in Pacaraima, a small Brazilian border town.
Belquis Torres and her family had a tent, a clothesline, a collection of luggage and a few plastic chairs. She now presides over an open-air living room in an incongruously neat skirt and top. Barros brings her water from time to time. The 50-year-old cooling technician, who shares two bedrooms with his wife and seven sons, says he’s not charging the Venezuelans rent because they have nowhere else to go. But he fears they will stay long and bring trouble.