In the midst of the heated political debate over what to do with the overwhelming influx of migrants flocking to America’s borders, it can be difficult to personalize the human suffering behind the vast numbers.
A video posted this afternoon from CBS Evening News provides a glimpse into the reality of the dire situation on the border and south of the border.
A woman and her young child are seen in a holding cell discussing their harrowing three-month journey to get from Venezuela to the United States. “They left us in the jungle,” the mother says, fighting off tears. “It was terrible, but I had to do it for my son.”
Socialist Venezuela is undergoing unprecedented turmoil, with protests last April featuring Maduro’s soldiers mowing down civilians in broad daylight.
It should be noted that the facility appears clean and relatively uncrowded, compared to viral pictures spread around in recent weeks. There are also water bottles on the table. This fits the description provided to Faithwire by several pastors who have visited the border and runs contrary to the imagery of a “concentration camp” as some politicians have posited.
When asked by CBS’ Norah O’Donnell if she was glad that she’s here now, the mother replied that her current situation is “better than Venezuela.”
Socialist Venezuela
Venezuela has long been in shambles, with residents often being forced to ration water and search for food. In one stunning report, it was alleged that desperate families were killing pink flamingos in order to survive.
Looting has become commonplace, with some telling outlets that it’s “loot or die” out there in the streets.
The situation is so bad that a fishing boat returning to Margarita Island with a catch of sardines was raided by a desperate, hungry mob that waded out to sea, Vargas wrote on Twitter.
The fishermen did not resist the aggressive crowd full of men, women and even children, Vargas said.
The irony is not lost on many that the very socialist ideology promoted by some in Washington politics is, in large part, what is causing people to flee and risk their lives just to have a shot of making it to America.
Regardless of the various opinions on how to deal with the situation of the border, we should be praying for people who find themselves fleeing the catastrophic and inevitable results of socialism.