The odyssey to leave Venezuela
Given the situation in Venezuela, leaving the country is an option for the vast majority of Venezuelans. People are forced to sell their acquired assets during a lifetime, to make sure they have the money for the passage, food and any eventuality, as well as to arrive with some resources to survive while achieving employment in the destination nation, in our case Peru.
The subject is not easy. The goods are generally sold in bolivars and then acquire the necessary dollars to use during the trip. It's a race against the clock, because every day the dollar rises with a high price compared to the previous day. Also avoid the dangers of theft within Venezuelan territory, due to the high rate of crime, as well as endure the bad treatment that many receive from the authorities at the checkpoints. In the particular case, we entrust ourselves to God, our Protector and Savior, and we suffer no reproach. Praise the name of God!
With all this load of emotions and feelings, on Friday 27-04-2018, at 4:00 p.m., we boarded the plane that would take us to Maiquetía, Vargas state, where we slept at the Agua Marina inn. On Saturday 28-04-2018, at 9:00 a.m., we took the next flight to El Vigía, where we arrived at 10:00 a.m. There we used two taxis, previously contacted, to travel through Ureña to San Antonio del Táchira, where we arrived at around 3 p.m. A manager gave us the Border Card to those who did not have a passport.
Approximately at 5 p.m., together with my wife we started to cross the Simón Bolívar International Bridge. A policeman asked me to show him my documents, which I did, he observed them for a second, and then he told me to continue; My wife did not ask for any document. A little further back, at a distance, came a couple, also from the family, with their passports, except for their three-year-old son.
The relatives who had their passports sealed their exit from Venezuela and access to Colombia. Thus the whole family group, some with passports and others with only Border Carnet, we were transferred to a central part of Cúcuta, called Los Patios; From there, around 9:00 p.m., we left for Bogota in a small bus. In Bucaramanga we were transferred to another small bus; We continue, and go through Tunja. Before arriving in Bogotá, there was a change of driver on the bus. We arrived in Bogotá on Sunday 04-28-2018, at 12:30 p.m. Approximately at 6:30 p.m. On the same day we left Bogotá for La Hormiga, near San Miguel, where the Office of Migration of Colombia and Ecuador operates.
On the way to La Hormiga we went through places like Neiva, Pitalito, Mocoa, Villa Garzón, Santa Ana. In Santa Ana where we did change to a Nissan double cab, paid for by the company, because a large part of the road that follows is in repair. Despite the bad roads, the drivers move at excessive speed. Finally we arrived at La Hormiga, but we continued in the truck until near the bridge, before San Miguel. It was already 12:15 p.m. of the day Monday, 04.30.2018. We descended, and with our luggage we went to the Immigration Office of Colombia and Ecuador.
The cost of the ticket from Cúcuta to La Hormiga was as follows: Passage without passport: $ 143 (380,000 pesos). Passage with passport: 107 $ (290,000 pesos). As you can see, there is a difference of 36 $ due to the fact of not having a passport.
In the Immigration Office of Colombia and Ecuador, those of us who only came with the Border Carnet requested Andean Charter to leave Colombia; remember that this Border Carnet is not valid to travel throughout the Colombian territory. It is only to go to Cúcuta and then return to San Antonio. The Andean Charter to leave Colombia was issued to us, and then we delivered it to the Migration Office of Ecuador, where we were now given an Andean Charter to travel through Ecuadorian territory.
To the marriage of the family that came with their son they sealed the passports of exit of Colombia; but Migration Ecuador did not want to stamp the passport of one of them because it would expire soon (in the month of August), so he also had to request the Ecuadorian Andean Charter. The child of them was not issued the Andean Charter, because he was three years old and went to his parents.
Accomplished these legal proceedings, we went to a part of Ecuador called Lago Agrio, where we stayed at the Victoria Hotel. On Tuesday 01-05-2018, at 7:00 p.m., we left for Guayaquil on a bus from the "Putumayo" Line that did not offer many comforts to the passengers. We arrived in Guayaquil, around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday 02-05-2018. The passage from Lago Agrio to Guayaquil was equally 20 $.
In Guayaquil We bought a ticket to leave that same day, at 7:00 p.m., to Piura (Peru). We left at the appointed time. Before arriving in Piura, we entered the Migration Office of Ecuador and Peru, in Huaquillas. There, those of us who did not carry passports (and who had it to expire) received the Peruvian Andean Charter; who had a valid passport sealed exit from Ecuador and entry to Peru. The three-year-old boy was not issued legal entry to Peru because he did not have the Andean Charter of Ecuador. Remember that Migración Ecuador did not issue the Andean Charter for three years and go with their parents. So are the things. There is no uniformity of criteria. We arrived in Piura on Thursday 03-05-2018, at 7:00 a.m. Passage from Guayaquil to Piura: $ 22.25.
We bought passage in Piura, in the Peruvian Sol Transportation line, to continue the trip at 3:00 p.m. At the appointed time, we boarded a well-equipped transport unit, in which we traveled comfortably until arriving in Lima on Friday 04-05-2018, at 6:00 in the morning. Passage from Piura to Lima: $ 20.
With all this load of emotions and feelings, on Friday 27-04-2018, at 4:00 p.m., we boarded the plane that would take us to Maiquetía, Vargas state, where we slept at the Agua Marina inn. On Saturday 28-04-2018, at 9:00 a.m., we took the next flight to El Vigía, where we arrived at 10:00 a.m. There we used two taxis, previously contacted, to travel through Ureña to San Antonio del Táchira, where we arrived at around 3 p.m. A manager gave us the Border Card to those who did not have a passport.
Approximately at 5 p.m., together with my wife we started to cross the Simón Bolívar International Bridge. A policeman asked me to show him my documents, which I did, he observed them for a second, and then he told me to continue; My wife did not ask for any document. A little further back, at a distance, came a couple, also from the family, with their passports, except for their three-year-old son.
The relatives who had their passports sealed their exit from Venezuela and access to Colombia. Thus the whole family group, some with passports and others with only Border Carnet, we were transferred to a central part of Cúcuta, called Los Patios; From there, around 9:00 p.m., we left for Bogota in a small bus. In Bucaramanga we were transferred to another small bus; We continue, and go through Tunja. Before arriving in Bogotá, there was a change of driver on the bus. We arrived in Bogotá on Sunday 04-28-2018, at 12:30 p.m. Approximately at 6:30 p.m. On the same day we left Bogotá for La Hormiga, near San Miguel, where the Office of Migration of Colombia and Ecuador operates.
On the way to La Hormiga we went through places like Neiva, Pitalito, Mocoa, Villa Garzón, Santa Ana. In Santa Ana where we did change to a Nissan double cab, paid for by the company, because a large part of the road that follows is in repair. Despite the bad roads, the drivers move at excessive speed. Finally we arrived at La Hormiga, but we continued in the truck until near the bridge, before San Miguel. It was already 12:15 p.m. of the day Monday, 04.30.2018. We descended, and with our luggage we went to the Immigration Office of Colombia and Ecuador.
The cost of the ticket from Cúcuta to La Hormiga was as follows: Passage without passport: $ 143 (380,000 pesos). Passage with passport: 107 $ (290,000 pesos). As you can see, there is a difference of 36 $ due to the fact of not having a passport.
In the Immigration Office of Colombia and Ecuador, those of us who only came with the Border Carnet requested Andean Charter to leave Colombia; remember that this Border Carnet is not valid to travel throughout the Colombian territory. It is only to go to Cúcuta and then return to San Antonio. The Andean Charter to leave Colombia was issued to us, and then we delivered it to the Migration Office of Ecuador, where we were now given an Andean Charter to travel through Ecuadorian territory.
To the marriage of the family that came with their son they sealed the passports of exit of Colombia; but Migration Ecuador did not want to stamp the passport of one of them because it would expire soon (in the month of August), so he also had to request the Ecuadorian Andean Charter. The child of them was not issued the Andean Charter, because he was three years old and went to his parents.
Accomplished these legal proceedings, we went to a part of Ecuador called Lago Agrio, where we stayed at the Victoria Hotel. On Tuesday 01-05-2018, at 7:00 p.m., we left for Guayaquil on a bus from the "Putumayo" Line that did not offer many comforts to the passengers. We arrived in Guayaquil, around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday 02-05-2018. The passage from Lago Agrio to Guayaquil was equally 20 $.
In Guayaquil We bought a ticket to leave that same day, at 7:00 p.m., to Piura (Peru). We left at the appointed time. Before arriving in Piura, we entered the Migration Office of Ecuador and Peru, in Huaquillas. There, those of us who did not carry passports (and who had it to expire) received the Peruvian Andean Charter; who had a valid passport sealed exit from Ecuador and entry to Peru. The three-year-old boy was not issued legal entry to Peru because he did not have the Andean Charter of Ecuador. Remember that Migración Ecuador did not issue the Andean Charter for three years and go with their parents. So are the things. There is no uniformity of criteria. We arrived in Piura on Thursday 03-05-2018, at 7:00 a.m. Passage from Guayaquil to Piura: $ 22.25.
We bought passage in Piura, in the Peruvian Sol Transportation line, to continue the trip at 3:00 p.m. At the appointed time, we boarded a well-equipped transport unit, in which we traveled comfortably until arriving in Lima on Friday 04-05-2018, at 6:00 in the morning. Passage from Piura to Lima: $ 20.
At present several members of the family are in the Republic of Peru, trying to achieve a better standard of living for us and to help those who remain in the country from which we have left. May God</b grant us the blessing that things may change for the better, and that soon we may all have the desired Return to the Fatherland.