Once Latin America's Wealthiest, Venezuelans Flee Economic Crisis

The flood of people fleeing Venezuela’s crisis has become one of the world’s great mass migrations, surpassing the flow of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe. Colombia -- historically a place that people fled from, rather than to -- has seen net migration across the 1,400-mile border rise more than fourfold in recent months, as the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro tightened control, and airlines pulled out. Net arrivals rose to more than 56,000 in August as Venezuelans, once the wealthiest people in Latin America, seek low-wage jobs in Colombia, or use their neighbor as a staging post to get to Chile, Panama, the U.S. and elsewhere. More…