Latest news with #Mengual
CNN
26-03-2025
- CNN
He has a tattoo celebrating soccer giant Real Madrid. His lawyer believes it's why he was deported.
The two most important things in Jerce Reyes's life, according to those who know him best, are family and soccer. The former professional soccer player's tattoos are a testament to those passions: of a soccer ball and other symbols on his left arm, as well as the names of his two daughters, which were all inked by his friend Victor Mengual. Little did this Venezuelan player know that some of those drawings would, years later, lead to him being placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in the United States in September. This month, the 35-year-old was among the hundreds of Venezuelan deportees transferred to El Salvador's most notorious prison after US President Donald Trump invoked an 18th century law to deport hundreds of undocumented migrants to the Central American country. Part of the reasoning for Reyes's deportation, US authorities argue, lies on his arms, which they say is evidence of his membership to an infamous Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. In a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security said Reyes's tattoos are 'consistent with those indicating Tren de Aragua (TdA) membership,' accusing Reyes of being part of a foreign terrorist organization. 'Jerce Reyes Barrios was not only in the United States illegally, but he has tattoos that are consistent with those indicating TdA gang membership,' a senior DHS official told CNN via email. 'His own social media indicates he is a member of the vicious TdA gang. That all said, DHS intelligence assessments go beyond a single tattoo, and we are confident in our findings.' DHS would not confirm to CNN which of Reyes's tattoos incriminated him, and CNN was not able to verify which social media post indicated his supposed membership in Tren de Aragua. But Mengual, who works as a tattoo artist in Venezuela and tattooed Reyes twice in 2018 and 2023, says this is all a misunderstanding. In a phone interview with CNN, Mengual detailed the drawings he left on Reyes's skin: a soccer ball topped with a crown to represent his favorite team, Spanish club Real Madrid. Below the crown, Mengual had tattooed the word 'Dios,' which means God in Spanish and is also the nickname of the late Argentinian soccer star Diego Armando Maradona. World soccer stars like Brazil's Neymar and Argentina's Paulo Dybala also sport similar tattoos of crowned soccer balls, but Reyes' lawyer Linette Tobin believes this particular drawing is what incriminated him in a court affidavit reviewed by CNN. Mengual also told CNN Reyes got the soccer ball tattoo in 2018, at a time when Tren de Aragua was not a known syndicate among Venezuelans, let alone abroad. Other tattoos Mengual drew on Reyes are the names of his daughters, Isabela and Carla Antonella, a map of Venezuela, a star, and a goalkeeper, his position on the pitch, he said. Several of these tattoos are clearly visible in a photo of Reyes's left forearm that Tobin shared with CNN. The picture was taken when Reyes was in ICE custody at the Otay Mesa Detention Center near San Diego. US authorities have linked certain tattoos to the criminal group. Guidance on Tren de Aragua from the Texas Department of Public Safety states that tattoos of crowns, roses or stars are all widely used by the gang members, while two of its mottos include the words Real and Dios. 'It's so unjust!' Mengual despaired. 'I've read in the news that Tren de Aragua uses crowns or roses, but, so what? I don't understand why an innocent man has to pay for it?' In southern Mexico, Reyes's partner denies the accusations against him. 'Jerce doesn't even drink, he doesn't smoke, he's never been involved in any crime or bad situation! The only things he cares are his daughters and soccer,' Mariyin Araujo, 32, told CNN from the city of Tapachula, where she arrived in December with their daughters to try join Reyes in the United States. The deportee's lawyer Tobin said Reyes left the Venezuelan city of Machiques last March following political unrest. He arrived in Mexico and registered on the CBP One app, a Biden-era mechanism for migrants to legally enter the US. Records show Reyes entered the US on September 1 for an appointment with migration authorities but was immediately detained, accused of being a gangster, and placed in ICE custody. A legal battle ensued as Tobin tried to prove her client's innocence. She presented documents from Venezuela that show Reyes's has no criminal record in his home country, which CNN was able to verify as authentic. She also showed reels of Reyes's performances as a soccer player in Venezuela's First and Second Divisions. In December, Reyes and Tobin applied for asylum and withholding of removal and he was granted a hearing to present his case based on the political situation in Venezuela. A few months later, Trump was inaugurated and quickly launched an immigration crackdown. According to his lawyer, Reyes is still due to appear in front of an immigration judge in San Diego on April 17. The last time he was able to call her from the ICE detention center was on March 11, Araujo told CNN, saying Reyes sounded positive and hopeful to be released soon. She has not heard from him since. On March 16, Araujo started scrolling through videos shared on social media by the Salvadorean presidency showing the deportees' arrivals at the Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison designed to hold El Salvador's gangsters. Amid clips showing deportees frog-marched in white uniforms towards their cell, Araujo was able to spot someone resembling her partner. The following day Tobin got confirmation that Reyes had indeed been deported. His name later appeared in a list of deportees first published by CBS News, as claims of innocence from the families of the deportees began to sprout across the media. 'He's innocent, and it's not only the family who says it, everyone who knows Jerce knows this is not true,' Araujo claims. In Reyes' hometown Machiques, a small, rural city close to the border with Colombia, his old club Perijaneros FC is starting a campaign to demanding his release. In footage shared on Instagram and TikTok, children from the soccer school recite a prayer for their former coach, who left town like so many others looking for a better future abroad. 'Many young people have left the club… some of them have got to the US, others are in Colombia, in Peru, they are all over the place, it's no secret the economic situation is problematic here,' Yogerse Viloria, 48, who was Reyes's coach in the youth system, told CNN in a videocall. In the last decade, more than eight million Venezuelans have fled economic crisis and political repression under President Nicolas Maduro, who criticized the US and El Salvador for 'kidnapping' his fellow citizens last week. 'People don't really announce when they are leaving, but last year he [Reyes] told me he was going to try to go to the US because his father is very ill, and to find a better life for his family,' the old coach told CNN. When the news broke that he had been deported to El Salvador, the community was shocked, he said. 'I don't understand, how can you take a person and put it in a cell without a thorough investigation? How could they not look into this before condemning a person?' CNN's Thomas Bordeaux contributed reporting
CNN
26-03-2025
- CNN
He has a tattoo celebrating soccer giant Real Madrid. His lawyer believes it's why he was deported.
The two most important things in Jerce Reyes's life, according to those who know him best, are family and soccer. The former professional soccer player's tattoos are a testament to those passions: of a soccer ball and other symbols on his left arm, as well as the names of his two daughters, which were all inked by his friend Victor Mengual. Little did this Venezuelan player know that some of those drawings would, years later, lead to him being placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in the United States in September. This month, the 35-year-old was among the hundreds of Venezuelan deportees transferred to El Salvador's most notorious prison after US President Donald Trump invoked an 18th century law to deport hundreds of undocumented migrants to the Central American country. Part of the reasoning for Reyes's deportation, US authorities argue, lies on his arms, which they say is evidence of his membership to an infamous Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. In a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security said Reyes's tattoos are 'consistent with those indicating Tren de Aragua (TdA) membership,' accusing Reyes of being part of a foreign terrorist organization. 'Jerce Reyes Barrios was not only in the United States illegally, but he has tattoos that are consistent with those indicating TdA gang membership,' a senior DHS official told CNN via email. 'His own social media indicates he is a member of the vicious TdA gang. That all said, DHS intelligence assessments go beyond a single tattoo, and we are confident in our findings.' DHS would not confirm to CNN which of Reyes's tattoos incriminated him, and CNN was not able to verify which social media post indicated his supposed membership in Tren de Aragua. But Mengual, who works as a tattoo artist in Venezuela and tattooed Reyes twice in 2018 and 2023, says this is all a misunderstanding. In a phone interview with CNN, Mengual detailed the drawings he left on Reyes's skin: a soccer ball topped with a crown to represent his favorite team, Spanish club Real Madrid. Below the crown, Mengual had tattooed the word 'Dios,' which means God in Spanish and is also the nickname of the late Argentinian soccer star Diego Armando Maradona. World soccer stars like Brazil's Neymar and Argentina's Paulo Dybala also sport similar tattoos of crowned soccer balls, but Reyes' lawyer Linette Tobin believes this particular drawing is what incriminated him in a court affidavit reviewed by CNN. Mengual also told CNN Reyes got the soccer ball tattoo in 2018, at a time when Tren de Aragua was not a known syndicate among Venezuelans, let alone abroad. Other tattoos Mengual drew on Reyes are the names of his daughters, Isabela and Carla Antonella, a map of Venezuela, a star, and a goalkeeper, his position on the pitch, he said. Several of these tattoos are clearly visible in a photo of Reyes's left forearm that Tobin shared with CNN. The picture was taken when Reyes was in ICE custody at the Otay Mesa Detention Center near San Diego. US authorities have linked certain tattoos to the criminal group. Guidance on Tren de Aragua from the Texas Department of Public Safety states that tattoos of crowns, roses or stars are all widely used by the gang members, while two of its mottos include the words Real and Dios. 'It's so unjust!' Mengual despaired. 'I've read in the news that Tren de Aragua uses crowns or roses, but, so what? I don't understand why an innocent man has to pay for it?' In southern Mexico, Reyes's partner denies the accusations against him. 'Jerce doesn't even drink, he doesn't smoke, he's never been involved in any crime or bad situation! The only things he cares are his daughters and soccer,' Mariyin Araujo, 32, told CNN from the city of Tapachula, where she arrived in December with their daughters to try join Reyes in the United States. The deportee's lawyer Tobin said Reyes left the Venezuelan city of Machiques last March following political unrest. He arrived in Mexico and registered on the CBP One app, a Biden-era mechanism for migrants to legally enter the US. Records show Reyes entered the US on September 1 for an appointment with migration authorities but was immediately detained, accused of being a gangster, and placed in ICE custody. A legal battle ensued as Tobin tried to prove her client's innocence. She presented documents from Venezuela that show Reyes's has no criminal record in his home country, which CNN was able to verify as authentic. She also showed reels of Reyes's performances as a soccer player in Venezuela's First and Second Divisions. In December, Reyes and Tobin applied for asylum and withholding of removal and he was granted a hearing to present his case based on the political situation in Venezuela. A few months later, Trump was inaugurated and quickly launched an immigration crackdown. According to his lawyer, Reyes is still due to appear in front of an immigration judge in San Diego on April 17. The last time he was able to call her from the ICE detention center was on March 11, Araujo told CNN, saying Reyes sounded positive and hopeful to be released soon. She has not heard from him since. On March 16, Araujo started scrolling through videos shared on social media by the Salvadorean presidency showing the deportees' arrivals at the Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison designed to hold El Salvador's gangsters. Amid clips showing deportees frog-marched in white uniforms towards their cell, Araujo was able to spot someone resembling her partner. The following day Tobin got confirmation that Reyes had indeed been deported. His name later appeared in a list of deportees first published by CBS News, as claims of innocence from the families of the deportees began to sprout across the media. 'He's innocent, and it's not only the family who says it, everyone who knows Jerce knows this is not true,' Araujo claims. In Reyes' hometown Machiques, a small, rural city close to the border with Colombia, his old club Perijaneros FC is starting a campaign to demanding his release. In footage shared on Instagram and TikTok, children from the soccer school recite a prayer for their former coach, who left town like so many others looking for a better future abroad. 'Many young people have left the club… some of them have got to the US, others are in Colombia, in Peru, they are all over the place, it's no secret the economic situation is problematic here,' Yogerse Viloria, 48, who was Reyes's coach in the youth system, told CNN in a videocall. In the last decade, more than eight million Venezuelans have fled economic crisis and political repression under President Nicolas Maduro, who criticized the US and El Salvador for 'kidnapping' his fellow citizens last week. 'People don't really announce when they are leaving, but last year he [Reyes] told me he was going to try to go to the US because his father is very ill, and to find a better life for his family,' the old coach told CNN. When the news broke that he had been deported to El Salvador, the community was shocked, he said. 'I don't understand, how can you take a person and put it in a cell without a thorough investigation? How could they not look into this before condemning a person?' CNN's Thomas Bordeaux contributed reporting
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
He has a tattoo celebrating Real Madrid. His lawyer believes it's why he was deported.
The two most important things in Jerce Reyes's life, according to those who know him best, are family and soccer. The former professional soccer player's tattoos are a testament to those passions: of a soccer ball and other symbols on his left arm, as well as the names of his two daughters, which were all inked by his friend Victor Mengual. Little did this Venezuelan player know that some of those drawings would, years later, lead to him being placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in the United States in September. This month, the 35-year-old was among the hundreds of Venezuelan deportees transferred to El Salvador's most notorious prison after US President Donald Trump invoked an 18th century law to deport hundreds of undocumented migrants to the Central American country. Part of the reasoning for Reyes's deportation, US authorities argue, lies on his arms, which they say is evidence of his membership to an infamous Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. In a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security said Reyes's tattoos are 'consistent with those indicating Tren de Aragua (TdA) membership,' accusing Reyes of being part of a foreign terrorist organization. 'Jerce Reyes Barrios was not only in the United States illegally, but he has tattoos that are consistent with those indicating TdA gang membership,' a senior DHS official told CNN via email. 'His own social media indicates he is a member of the vicious TdA gang. That all said, DHS intelligence assessments go beyond a single tattoo, and we are confident in our findings.' DHS would not confirm to CNN which of Reyes's tattoos incriminated him, and CNN was not able to verify which social media post indicated his supposed membership in Tren de Aragua. But Mengual, who works as a tattoo artist in Venezuela and tattooed Reyes twice in 2018 and 2023, says this is all a misunderstanding. In a phone interview with CNN, Mengual detailed the drawings he left on Reyes's skin: a soccer ball topped with a crown to represent his favorite team, Spanish club Real Madrid. Below the crown, Mengual had tattooed the word 'Dios,' which means God in Spanish and is also the nickname of the late Argentinian soccer star Diego Armando Maradona. World soccer stars like Brazil's Neymar and Argentina's Paulo Dybala also sport similar tattoos of crowned soccer balls, but Reyes' lawyer Linette Tobin believes this particular drawing is what incriminated him in a court affidavit reviewed by CNN. Mengual also told CNN Reyes got the soccer ball tattoo in 2018, at a time when Tren de Aragua was not a known syndicate among Venezuelans, let alone abroad. Other tattoos Mengual drew on Reyes are the names of his daughters, Isabela and Carla Antonella, a map of Venezuela, a star, and a goalkeeper, his position on the pitch, he said. Several of these tattoos are clearly visible in a photo of Reyes's left forearm that Tobin shared with CNN. The picture was taken when Reyes was in ICE custody at the Otay Mesa Detention Center near San Diego. US authorities have linked certain tattoos to the criminal group. Guidance on Tren de Aragua from the Texas Department of Public Safety states that tattoos of crowns, roses or stars are all widely used by the gang members, while two of its mottos include the words Real and Dios. 'It's so unjust!' Mengual despaired. 'I've read in the news that Tren de Aragua uses crowns or roses, but, so what? I don't understand why an innocent man has to pay for it?' In southern Mexico, Reyes's partner denies the accusations against him. 'Jerce doesn't even drink, he doesn't smoke, he's never been involved in any crime or bad situation! The only things he cares are his daughters and soccer,' Mariyin Araujo, 32, told CNN from the city of Tapachula, where she arrived in December with their daughters to try join Reyes in the United States. The deportee's lawyer Tobin said Reyes left the Venezuelan city of Machiques last March following political unrest. He arrived in Mexico and registered on the CBP One app, a Biden-era mechanism for migrants to legally enter the US. Records show Reyes entered the US on September 1 for an appointment with migration authorities but was immediately detained, accused of being a gangster, and placed in ICE custody. A legal battle ensued as Tobin tried to prove her client's innocence. She presented documents from Venezuela that show Reyes's has no criminal record in his home country, which CNN was able to verify as authentic. She also showed reels of Reyes's performances as a soccer player in Venezuela's First and Second Divisions. In December, Reyes and Tobin applied for asylum and withholding of removal and he was granted a hearing to present his case based on the political situation in Venezuela. A few months later, Trump was inaugurated and quickly launched an immigration crackdown. According to his lawyer, Reyes is still due to appear in front of an immigration judge in San Diego on April 17. The last time he was able to call her from the ICE detention center was on March 11, Araujo told CNN, saying Reyes sounded positive and hopeful to be released soon. She has not heard from him since. On March 16, Araujo started scrolling through videos shared on social media by the Salvadorean presidency showing the deportees' arrivals at the Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison designed to hold El Salvador's gangsters. Amid clips showing deportees frog-marched in white uniforms towards their cell, Araujo was able to spot someone resembling her partner. The following day Tobin got confirmation that Reyes had indeed been deported. His name later appeared in a list of deportees first published by CBS News, as claims of innocence from the families of the deportees began to sprout across the media. 'He's innocent, and it's not only the family who says it, everyone who knows Jerce knows this is not true,' Araujo claims. In Reyes' hometown Machiques, a small, rural city close to the border with Colombia, his old club Perijaneros FC is starting a campaign to demanding his release. In footage shared on Instagram and TikTok, children from the soccer school recite a prayer for their former coach, who left town like so many others looking for a better future abroad. 'Many young people have left the club… some of them have got to the US, others are in Colombia, in Peru, they are all over the place, it's no secret the economic situation is problematic here,' Yogerse Viloria, 48, who was Reyes's coach in the youth system, told CNN in a videocall. In the last decade, more than eight million Venezuelans have fled economic crisis and political repression under President Nicolas Maduro, who criticized the US and El Salvador for 'kidnapping' his fellow citizens last week. 'People don't really announce when they are leaving, but last year he [Reyes] told me he was going to try to go to the US because his father is very ill, and to find a better life for his family,' the old coach told CNN. When the news broke that he had been deported to El Salvador, the community was shocked, he said. 'I don't understand, how can you take a person and put it in a cell without a thorough investigation? How could they not look into this before condemning a person?' CNN's Thomas Bordeaux contributed reporting
CNN
26-03-2025
- CNN
He has a tattoo celebrating soccer giant Real Madrid. His lawyer believes it's why he was deported.
The two most important things in Jerce Reyes's life, according to those who know him best, are family and soccer. The former professional soccer player's tattoos are a testament to those passions: of a soccer ball and other symbols on his left arm, as well as the names of his two daughters, which were all inked by his friend Victor Mengual. Little did this Venezuelan player know that some of those drawings would, years later, lead to him being placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in the United States in September. This month, the 35-year-old was among the hundreds of Venezuelan deportees transferred to El Salvador's most notorious prison after US President Donald Trump invoked an 18th century law to deport hundreds of undocumented migrants to the Central American country. Part of the reasoning for Reyes's deportation, US authorities argue, lies on his arms, which they say is evidence of his membership to an infamous Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. In a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security said Reyes's tattoos are 'consistent with those indicating Tren de Aragua (TdA) membership,' accusing Reyes of being part of a foreign terrorist organization. 'Jerce Reyes Barrios was not only in the United States illegally, but he has tattoos that are consistent with those indicating TdA gang membership,' a senior DHS official told CNN via email. 'His own social media indicates he is a member of the vicious TdA gang. That all said, DHS intelligence assessments go beyond a single tattoo, and we are confident in our findings.' DHS would not confirm to CNN which of Reyes's tattoos incriminated him, and CNN was not able to verify which social media post indicated his supposed membership in Tren de Aragua. But Mengual, who works as a tattoo artist in Venezuela and tattooed Reyes twice in 2018 and 2023, says this is all a misunderstanding. In a phone interview with CNN, Mengual detailed the drawings he left on Reyes's skin: a soccer ball topped with a crown to represent his favorite team, Spanish club Real Madrid. Below the crown, Mengual had tattooed the word 'Dios,' which means God in Spanish and is also the nickname of the late Argentinian soccer star Diego Armando Maradona. World soccer stars like Brazil's Neymar and Argentina's Paulo Dybala also sport similar tattoos of crowned soccer balls, but Reyes' lawyer Linette Tobin believes this particular drawing is what incriminated him in a court affidavit reviewed by CNN. Mengual also told CNN Reyes got the soccer ball tattoo in 2018, at a time when Tren de Aragua was not a known syndicate among Venezuelans, let alone abroad. Other tattoos Mengual drew on Reyes are the names of his daughters, Isabela and Carla Antonella, a map of Venezuela, a star, and a goalkeeper, his position on the pitch, he said. Several of these tattoos are clearly visible in a photo of Reyes's left forearm that Tobin shared with CNN. The picture was taken when Reyes was in ICE custody at the Otay Mesa Detention Center near San Diego. US authorities have linked certain tattoos to the criminal group. Guidance on Tren de Aragua from the Texas Department of Public Safety states that tattoos of crowns, roses or stars are all widely used by the gang members, while two of its mottos include the words Real and Dios. 'It's so unjust!' Mengual despaired. 'I've read in the news that Tren de Aragua uses crowns or roses, but, so what? I don't understand why an innocent man has to pay for it?' In southern Mexico, Reyes's partner denies the accusations against him. 'Jerce doesn't even drink, he doesn't smoke, he's never been involved in any crime or bad situation! The only things he cares are his daughters and soccer,' Mariyin Araujo, 32, told CNN from the city of Tapachula, where she arrived in December with their daughters to try join Reyes in the United States. The deportee's lawyer Tobin said Reyes left the Venezuelan city of Machiques last March following political unrest. He arrived in Mexico and registered on the CBP One app, a Biden-era mechanism for migrants to legally enter the US. Records show Reyes entered the US on September 1 for an appointment with migration authorities but was immediately detained, accused of being a gangster, and placed in ICE custody. A legal battle ensued as Tobin tried to prove her client's innocence. She presented documents from Venezuela that show Reyes's has no criminal record in his home country, which CNN was able to verify as authentic. She also showed reels of Reyes's performances as a soccer player in Venezuela's First and Second Divisions. In December, Reyes and Tobin applied for asylum and withholding of removal and he was granted a hearing to present his case based on the political situation in Venezuela. A few months later, Trump was inaugurated and quickly launched an immigration crackdown. According to his lawyer, Reyes is still due to appear in front of an immigration judge in San Diego on April 17. The last time he was able to call her from the ICE detention center was on March 11, Araujo told CNN, saying Reyes sounded positive and hopeful to be released soon. She has not heard from him since. On March 16, Araujo started scrolling through videos shared on social media by the Salvadorean presidency showing the deportees' arrivals at the Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison designed to hold El Salvador's gangsters. Amid clips showing deportees frog-marched in white uniforms towards their cell, Araujo was able to spot someone resembling her partner. The following day Tobin got confirmation that Reyes had indeed been deported. His name later appeared in a list of deportees first published by CBS News, as claims of innocence from the families of the deportees began to sprout across the media. 'He's innocent, and it's not only the family who says it, everyone who knows Jerce knows this is not true,' Araujo claims. In Reyes' hometown Machiques, a small, rural city close to the border with Colombia, his old club Perijaneros FC is starting a campaign to demanding his release. In footage shared on Instagram and TikTok, children from the soccer school recite a prayer for their former coach, who left town like so many others looking for a better future abroad. 'Many young people have left the club… some of them have got to the US, others are in Colombia, in Peru, they are all over the place, it's no secret the economic situation is problematic here,' Yogerse Viloria, 48, who was Reyes's coach in the youth system, told CNN in a videocall. In the last decade, more than eight million Venezuelans have fled economic crisis and political repression under President Nicolas Maduro, who criticized the US and El Salvador for 'kidnapping' his fellow citizens last week. 'People don't really announce when they are leaving, but last year he [Reyes] told me he was going to try to go to the US because his father is very ill, and to find a better life for his family,' the old coach told CNN. When the news broke that he had been deported to El Salvador, the community was shocked, he said. 'I don't understand, how can you take a person and put it in a cell without a thorough investigation? How could they not look into this before condemning a person?' CNN's Thomas Bordeaux contributed reporting
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Indigenous migrants in northern Colombia battle worsening droughts and floods
MAICAO, Colombia (AP) — Standing next to her makeshift home of scrap metal, wood and plastic tarp, 47-year-old Nelly Mengual recounts how severe flooding and winds tore off her roof a few months ago, leaving her knee-deep in water in her home. She lives in an informal settlement on the outskirts of Riohacha, in northern Colombia's arid, wind-swept region, where thousands of other Wayuu people, native to the La Guajira region spanning Colombia and Venezuela, also reside. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Although many residents were born in Colombia, it is the Wayuu who fled Venezuela who face the greatest hardship. Having escaped what many describe as economic crisis, they now live in these settlements without access to running water — and for many, without electricity. The Wayuu, whose traditional lands span Colombia and Venezuela, view the border as a political construct rather than a cultural divide, with their relationships and networks transcending national lines. 'This entire hut. Our belongings, what little we had. Everything was lost,' said Mengual, who makes ends meet by recycling scrap material in Maicao. The Wayuu, the largest Indigenous group in Colombia, are facing the dual threats of climate change-driven droughts and floods. Scientists warn that more severe, prolonged drought periods punctuated by flashes of torrential rain are only getting more common as the world warms. Aside from damaging people's homes, they are also draining water sources, destroying crops, and increasing health risks from waterborne diseases. Many Wayuu families are forced to migrate in search of essential resources, putting even more pressure on already overcrowded urban areas. Intense flooding challenges the Wayuu's way of life Ingrid Gonzalez, a Wayuu community leader from Maracaibo who's lived in the Villa del Sol settlement near Riohacha for six years, says those more traditional Wayuu homes, made with sticks and covered in mud, are very susceptible to the rainy season. 'There are many, many houses that flood and fill up with water,' said 29-year-old Gonzalez. 'A strong river of water passes through here, and the mud houses collapse.' 'Some people manage to preserve their homes by reinforcing them, but the damage is still significant,' she said. 'Several of my own roofing sheets were blown off.' Samuel Lanao, head of Corpoguajira, La Guajira's environment authority, said in 2024 extreme winter floods caused significant losses of homes, crops, and domestic animals in Indigenous communities, particularly among those coming from neighboring Venezuela. 'Because of climate change, there's been a rise in vector-borne diseases like dengue and Zika. Dengue, in particular, has hit Indigenous communities very, very hard,' he said. Lanao said Corpoguajira has created a Climate Change Plan to cut emissions and boost community and ecosystem resilience. The shift in weather patterns is undeniable to Camilo Martinez, La Guajira base manager for the Danish Refugee Council, which has a strong presence in the region. With 14 years of experience in the area, he has witnessed these changes firsthand. 'Years ago when I arrived here, there was fog and in certain hours of the morning it was cold. Today that has stopped, as well as in the snow peaks on the nearby mountains ... you don't see that much anymore,' Martinez told The Associated Press at the Uyatpana Indigenous community, on the outskirts of Maicao. Martinez says the months the rainy season starts has changed, but also the intensity of the rain too when it eventually comes. Scientific evidence of climate change in La Guajira, supported by data from Colombia's Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) and various studies, includes rising temperatures, prolonged droughts like the 2012–2016 crisis, irregular rainfall patterns, and increased desertification. Heat and drought tests informal settlements Last year's heat was the hottest Gonzalez, the community leader, can remember. 'There are houses where the heat is intense, which affects people, especially those with high blood pressure. They feel tired, flushed, and even unwell,' she said. 'The heat is so strong that it even affects the animals. Neighbors who have chickens have lost some of them due to the extreme heat, as the animals are suffocating.' A significant portion of the Wayuu population maintains traditional, semi-nomadic lifestyles, residing in rancherias — thatched-roof huts made from dried cacti and mud — and herding cattle and goats. In many informal settlements, residents lack access to running water or sanitation services. Water sellers transport untreated water in barrels, using mules to distribute it between homes for a fee. While many people rely on collecting rainwater, the increasing unpredictability of rainfall has made this source of water less dependable. 'They have been forced to buy water from sources that aren't clean, transported by mules or carts that make long journeys to bring it to families,' said Martinez. 'This water isn't drinkable—it can only be used for washing or cooking. But people are left with no choice but to drink it. This is one of the biggest consequences of the droughts and the lack of rainfall during these seasons.' Many non-governmental organizations say they step in to support these areas in La Guajira where state assistance is minimal or entirely absent. Colombia's environment ministry did not respond to AP's requests for comment. Wayuu leader Anibal Mercado told AP the migrant Wayuu population suffers the most because of climate change. 'You find them picking up garbage, you find them recycling, which has never been seen before. And that is a product of the neglect of the government. The State has been promoting neoliberal policies that go against traditional rights, with which the Wayuu used to provide for their own economy... their own food," he said. Many work to rebuild, again and again In the neighborhood of Uyatpana, 28-year-old Laura Pushaina sits on a stool, weaving a chinchorro, a traditional Wayuu hammock used for sleeping. With five children between the ages of one and ten, she says the intricate work will take her four days to complete. Pushaina is one of thousands of Wayuu people who cross into Colombia and establish settlements. Due to shifting political and economic conditions in the region, many have left homes in neighboring Venezuela. Many, like Pushaina, told the AP they hope to return to their rancherias on the Venezuelan side of the border, but they believe the political and economic situation remains too unstable to do so. Some also said that relocating from the informal settlements would help, as the land is unsuitable for living without running water or proper sewage infrastructure. Just a few months ago, Pushaina's home was destroyed by the floods. 'I've lived through the worst of times," she said. 'The water would seep through the mud, and sometimes it came in like a river, flowing through here.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
