US President Joe Biden’s government is granting temporary security status to Venezuelan immigrants living in the country and is also working to coordinate international pressure against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for a free and fair election, officials said Said USA this Monday (8).
The decision, which could help some 320,000 people, fulfills a promise made by President Joe Biden during the 2020 election campaign to shelter Venezuelans, which brought the Maduro government’s economic collapse, humanitarian crisis and political turmoil – Left his country amidst the turmoil.
Officials told reporters that Venezuela in the United States would have to prove that they were continuously residing in the country so that they could apply for the post of temporary security status (TPS). If they meet the criteria, they will receive an 18-month extension and will also be able to obtain a work permit.
The decision, an official said, is the result of “extraordinary temporary conditions” in Venezuela, including “widespread hunger and malnutrition, the increasing presence and influence of non-state armed groups, and the breaking down of infrastructure”.
“It is not safe for them to return,” the official said.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, around 5.4 million Venezuelans have fled in recent years.
When Biden took office on January 20, he inherited from his predecessor Donald Trump, stricter sanctions further tightened the economic knot in the OPEC member country but failed to overthrow Maduro.
An official reiterated the White House position, reported by Reuters last month, that Biden is “in no hurry” to lift the ban on Vedansuela.
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