Venezuelan Women Find Refuge in Andorra Amid Hopes for Democratic Change

Andorra has emerged as a refuge for Venezuelans fleeing instability, with many residents rebuilding their lives while holding onto hopes for democratic change back home. Four women from the South American country shared their stories of escape, adaptation in the Principat, and optimism amid recent political shifts.

Elsy Benítez, a 71-year-old retiree, arrived 18 years ago after battling cancer and facing rampant insecurity in Venezuela. She met her Andorran husband online and moved for treatment, which she successfully completed. Benítez recounted a personal ordeal: a man held a knife to her back at a bus stop, demanding money under threat of death. She left behind daughters and granddaughters who have "never known democracy," with family members suffering due to crime. Streets once safe for walking and free speech are now perilous, she said, contrasting sharply with Andorra's security, where people can stroll freely at any hour. Now retired, she sings with the Orfeó d'Andorra and volunteers actively.

Marta Rosinach emigrated 22 years ago with her husband and children after participating in peaceful protests against Hugo Chávez. Security forces responded with violence, prompting their departure. "You can't live in a place where your life is constantly at risk," she said. A family property in Andorra eased their transition, and finding work proved straightforward. Renewing Venezuelan passports later became impossible due to bureaucratic hurdles, severing regular visits.

Gabriela Minge has lived here for 12 years, leaving during Nicolás Maduro's era because her family rejected the socialist ideology. Her husband secured a job at a card company, allowing them to relocate with their three daughters. Family reunification involved paperwork challenges, but they eventually gained residency, enabling work and their granddaughter's schooling. One daughter who returned found food scarce and everything priced in dollars. Minge has two brothers and cousins still in Venezuela, where shortages of food and medicine persist.

Marianela Raucci arrived in 2015 at age 19 with her mother, abandoning university amid an "impossible" situation. Her family owned a business, making them targets; she survived a kidnapping attempt with her sister. In Andorra, she studied administration and finance, enrolled in government Catalan courses, and entered the workforce smoothly. She appreciates the climate and warm reception. A 2023 visit revealed European-level prices without matching wages.

All four express lingering anguish for relatives enduring dictatorship and hardship—"a communism that kills," as Benítez put it—but welcome U.S. intervention and Maduro's detention as steps toward transition. "Oil doesn't feed us; resources belong to the people," they affirmed.