First time

On Monday I was on the bus from my office to the metro when a vendor got on and started his patter, selling sweets. I knew immediately he wasn’t local from his accent and wasn’t surprised when he said he was Venezuelan. I have had Venezuelan taxi drivers here in Medellín, seen Venezuelans selling arepas and a Venezeluan has done my nails, but this was the first time I had seen a Venezuelan selling on the buses.

His story was one we have heard over and over again from Venezuelans in Colombia: driven to desperation by shortages of essential items, they have come to Colombia to make some money to send back to family members left behind; in the case of my sweetie-vendor, his baby son.

With no end in sight to the turmoil in Venezuela, my guess is that this man will not be the last Venezuelan I encounter selling on the buses in Medellín.

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