Migration
Over seven years, more than seven million Venezuelans have fled turmoil in their country. Every day, a steady stream of them crosses the Colombian border every day, with various intentions–reuniting with family and friends, or journeying even further afield.
Marked by trade since colonial times, the indigenous people of La Guajira, and the Serranía del Perijá, live along the Colombia–Venezuela border. Between a lack of drinking water, the extractive industry, wind farms and the humanitarian emergency, the Wayúu and the Yukpa survive despite dispossession and food insecurity.
In recent years, the Venezuelan emergency has hit the survival of these indigenous communities hard on both sides of the border. On the Colombian side, in the last two decades, they have had to face up to the advance of mining companies onto their territories and serious situations of violence.
Amidst poverty, drought, dispossession and mayhem, thousands of indigenous communities travel in and out of their territory, attempting to eke out a living, activating family networks of care and reciprocity, and trying to defend their territory and culture.
More recently, their problems have been compounded by a lack of access to drinking water, food insecurity, health services, and climate change.
In the backdrop of these immense challenges, the indigenous communities along the Colombia-Venezuela border continue to navigate the trials of survival. They have endured the impact of the Venezuelan crisis and the encroachment of mining companies on their lands, all while confronting violence and adversity. These communities, marked by their resilience, persist amidst poverty, drought, dispossession, and turmoil. They maintain their way of life through the strength of family bonds, mutual support, and their unwavering determination to safeguard their land and heritage.
Yet, in more recent times, these communities embody a testament to the enduring human spirit in the face of formidable challenges, and their story calls for greater attention and support.
