Tuesday, 11, thru Thursday, 13

Tuesday morning, a refugee from Venezuela who coordinates an association of Venezuelans in Brazil went to the CRI – Center of Reference for the Immigrant, and presented a list of contacts of families who have come from that country and currently live in the city of Boa Vista. The proposal is to gather these families so that they may receive  assistance.

“It is an aspiration of the Fraternidade to expand this task of help to the refugees who are not in the shelter, and with these contacts it will be  possible to deepen this task, said Cláudia, a missionary of the Fraternidade – International Humanitarian Federation.

First day of operation of the new team of missionaries who arrived in Boa Vista. The group went to the shelter and learned about the tasks that will be  assumed.

A representative of the Indigenous Secretariat of Roraima was in the CRI and talked with the Waraos about their situation after the last meeting with the institutions of the government and non-governmental organizations. A theme of discussion was what Indigenous people want to settle down in Boa Vista and what immediate actions are necessary for this to happen. An anthropologist of the Federal Public Ministry who was in the CRI will  help the Indigenous people to gather and organize themselves to carry out this wish to stay in Brazil.

On Wednesday, 12, a meeting took place between the Fraternidade and members of the Civil Defense of Roraima about updates and change of coordination of the CRI, which will be assumed by another missionary of the Fraternidade, due to the shifting of the teams. The role of the CRI was confirmed, which is to be a permanent shelter of transitory passage of Venezuelan people.

“Returning to the CRI almost three months later, I realized that most people are not there anymore, which shows that the place is being used as a  place of arrival, accomodations and referral of the immigrants to a life in better conditions”, said Imer, a missionary of the Fraternidade.

“We are checking the possibility that the Warao Indigenous Community recognizes itself as a permanent community, so as to begin from there a more formal procedure of request of some land or benefit and avoid their being a nomad group”, remarked Imer.

Meeting of the Fraternidade with members of the Federal University of Roraima (UFRR), to establish an agreement of work so that teachers and students may be in the CRI and offer language classes, lawful assistance and cultural matters to recover the roots of this Indigenous people.

First action with the association of Venezuelans in Brazil took place. It was detected that about 350 people live in different neighborhoods of the city of Boa Vista. The Fraternidade went to a neighborhood in the city and distributed provisions and clothes to 50 people who represented several families.

On the 13th, there arrived in the CRI a couple of refugees from Venezuela with the pregnant wife. They came from the capital Caracas, due to the deterioration of the situation in the country. The couple received shelter in the CRI and was referred to the Federal Police to regularize their situation in Brazil.

Press and members of the Federal Public Ministry went to the CRI to collect information, after the official dissemination of the closing of the Cabinet of Integrated Management. The CRI will continue its activities with the work of the Fraternidade and with the support of the Civil Defense of Roraima.

A survey was made of the sanitary conditions of the shelter, such as of hygiene and cleanness of the place, to check the needs and request public intervention. Open sewage was detected, as well as inadequate conditions of the toilets, which are deteriorated after months of use.

700 kg of perishable food was received (vegetables, fruits and greens). A selection was made of the provisions; a part remained in the shelter and another was distributed to the families of the association of the Venezuelans in Brazil.

A mass was conducted in the CRI during the Holy Week.