Meet the story of Venezuelan who went from surgeon to the beach

– Dad, where are you dressed like that?

– "Work," he replied.

– at the clinic?

– "No, my daughter, bomb."

This is what Venezuelans call service stations. Whoever answers is Henry Castro, a Venezuelan who, until his departure, practiced the profession of surgeon and professor specialized in anesthesiology. It was only then that her 9-year-old daughter understood what her father's new job was.

Castro is one of more than 700 Venezuelans who conducted immigration proceedings in Neuquén to obtain their registration. The delegate of the National Migration Board, Ricardo Leszczyki, explained that 28% of the 2,523 migratory procedures carried out in his delegation in 2018 corresponded to Venezuelan citizens.

The list is completed with 24% of Bolivians, 15% of Paraguayans, 11% of Colombians and 10% of Chileans.

In addition to appearing for the first time in the ranking of immigrants in Neuquén, Leszczyki stressed that 75% of Venezuelans who come to the region have a university degree or higher.

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Castro worked at a station in the industrial park. He says he left his country to escape violence and look for a better horizon than hyperinflation. He chose Neuquén because his eldest daughter managed to accept it last year at the National University of Comahue (UNC).

"At first, I resisted, it was not easy because my wife and I had a job in Venezuela, she is a civil engineer and she had her job." In addition to my job, she also taught postgraduate courses at the University of Carabobo, "she explained..

"Not only has the economic part become very difficult in Venezuela." My daughter had to leave the baccalaureate in nursing because of insecurity problems because even in the clbadrooms of the university we were I was reluctant because of my age (52 years old), I am not young like most of those who came here and also because I had my job.But with dollarization, he It was impossible to continue my children's studies in private schools, "he said.

The turning point – he said to "Río Negro" – is an armed robbery that he suffered at once when he went to buy groceries for his familybecause in San Diego, he could no longer buy supplies in supermarkets because this purchase required a waiting time greater than the working day.

"We bought the basic commodities, the middle clbad, to sell them at more than ten times its value.We were very up and with these risks (to be badaulted) was that we were selling our cars and what we could collect and we arrived in Neuquén, here is a nephew who is an industrial engineer and has found a job, "he said.

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Validation of the titles

Castro said that he was looking for work in the health sector but had not found him yet as his titles were being revalidated at the Ministry of Education.

"I wanted to apply even in the field of nursing, but as they are registered here, I removed the anesthetist and the surgeon's chip.What I have is what you see in this moment "as a beach player in a resort on duty. "It's an honest job that allows me to cover the expenses of my family," he concluded.

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