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Miami Herald
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Venezuelans in U.S. face heartbreak after travel ban shuts door on family reunification
For Venezuelans in the United States, a new White House proclamation has reopened old wounds and deepened fears that exile in the U.S., once a certain path to safety, will now mean permanent separation from their loved ones. On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced sweeping travel restrictions on nationals from over a dozen countries—including Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti. The order bars entry for most applicants seeking tourist, student and business visas, further narrowing the few remaining legal pathways for families torn apart by dictatorship, displacement and economic collapse. Among the thousands left in anguish is Sasha Escalante, a 44-year-old Venezuelan radio producer living in Miami. In the past year, Escalante has fought to stay alive while battling Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a rare and severe skin condition that left her hospitalized with rashes resembling second- and third-degree burns covering 75% of her body. Today, she is still recovering—and fighting for the chance to reunite with her elderly parents, whom she hasn't seen in years. Escalante had applied for a humanitarian visa to bring her parents to the U.S. while she was in intensive care fighting for her life. Her parents' previous tourist visas had expired in October 2022. Despite the urgency of her condition, her request was denied. Her parents later secured a tourist visa appointment for this coming August, this time in Madrid, due to the absence of a U.S. embassy in Venezuela. That appointment had offered a faint for reunion. Now, with the travel ban in place, even that hope has all but disappeared. 'Being away from family as a refugee is already painful,' Escalante said. 'But it's even harder when you've come close to death. I don't know what else I can do.' Her father, a retired engineer, was trained in manufacturing and technology in the 1980s in Japan. Over the years, he returned to the U.S. numerous times to update his skills. But under the new travel policy, his decades of professional and personal ties may count for nothing. A former television journalist who fled Venezuela in 2012 after the Hugo Chávez shut down her station, Escalante now works as a content producer at Miami's Actualidad Radio, a Spanish-language station. In addition to her serious health struggles, she is also a mother to a son on the autism spectrum. 'This country gave me refuge,' she said. 'But it is devastating. That appointment was my hope' A community under siege Escalante's story echoes the growing fear and frustration spreading to the nearly one million Venezuelans living in the United States. The new proclamation suspends most immigrant and non-immigrant visas for Venezuelans—affecting tourism (B-1/B-2), students (F and M), and exchange visitors (J), with limited exceptions. While green-card holders and immediate family members of U.S. citizens remain exempt from the travel ban, the practical effect is clear: For countless Venezuelan Americans, family reunification is once again out of reach. Alberto Argüelles, a Venezuelan attorney and longtime asylum seeker in Doral, said he is depressed. Like many, he fled persecution at home only to feel persecuted again in exile. 'We Venezuelans are trapped between two oppressors—one who hunts us at home, and another who now targets us in the U.S.,' he said. Though the Trump administration first included Venezuela in a travel ban in 2017, that version targeted only government officials and their families. The current policy is far broader Beginning June 9, it affects the vast majority of Venezuelan visa seekers, citing concerns over identity verification and Venezuela's refusal to take back deportees from the U.S. Yet data reviewed by the Miami Herald shows that the U.S. has already carried out over 21 deportation flights, returning more than 3,400 Venezuelans since Trump resumed deportations—including 150 people deported just one day after the proclamation was signed. At the same time, approximately 1,500 Venezuelans have voluntarily returned from Mexico through Maduro's Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland) program. In total, more than 5,000 Venezuelans have returned to their country since Trump took office. A pattern of exclusion The proclamation comes as the U.S. government moves to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, a policy that had shielded more than 600,000 migrants from deportation. More than 350,000 have already lost that protection, with the remainder at risk by September, pending a federal court ruling. Adelys Ferro, executive director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, condemned the policy as racially motivated and strategically cruel. 'They didn't even try to hide the racism, discrimination, and xenophobia when drawing up this list,' she said. 'The countries affected are all places devastated by war, dictatorship, famine and death.' Even before the new restrictions, Venezuelans were facing high rejection rates for U.S. visas. In 2024, 37.4% of all tourist visa applications were denied, according to the State Department. A Miami Herald analysis shows the average denial rate under President Biden was 33%, compared to 60% during Trump's first term. Despite the high denial rate, demand remains strong. In fiscal year 2025 through April, over 35,500 B1/B2 visas and 205 student visas (F) were issued to Venezuelan nationals. The administration claims the ban is justified due to a 10% overstay rate for Venezuelans—higher than average but not unique. Still, for Venezuelans like Escalante, the numbers pale in comparison to the human cost. Back home, Venezuela's main opposition coalition, Plataforma Unitaria Democrática, has also condemned the new Trump policy. In a statement Thursday, the group called it a measure that 'further aggravates the already complex immigration situation faced by Venezuelans. 'Penalizing individuals based solely on their nationality only increases the suffering of innocent Venezuelans,' the statement read. 'We deserve the support of the free world—not more punishment.' The travel ban was announced shortly after the expiration of Chevron's oil license in Venezuela—a move widely interpreted as a political blow to Maduro's regime. The timing of the ban may also be aimed at deterring a potential new wave of Venezuelan migration, as the U.S. cracks down on immigration. More than 8 million Venezuelans have fled their country in recent years, and nearly 1 million now reside in the United States. The consequences of the ban go beyond the U.S. border. In some Latin American countries, a valid U.S. visa is often a gateway to mobility. Countries like Panama now require visas for Venezuelans—but waive them for travelers holding valid U.S. visas. The new ban will likely sever those options as well. And with no U.S. embassy in Caracas and direct flights between the U.S. and Venezuela suspended since 2019, even navigating the application process has long been a logistical and financial burden. Now, the door has been all but slammed shut.
Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Woman, 24, watched a third of her skin ‘peel and detach' from her body just four days after taking routine NHS drug
Survivors of the condition have described the experience as feeling like they were being 'burned from the inside out' or 'cooked alive,' due to the intense pain and widespread skin loss it triggers SKIN HORROR Woman, 24, watched a third of her skin 'peel and detach' from her body just four days after taking routine NHS drug A YOUNG woman saw nearly a third of her skin peel away in sheets just days after starting a new medication. The 24-year-old had been prescribed lamotrigine, a drug commonly used on the NHS to treat mood disorders and epilepsy. Advertisement 3 The unnamed woman developed Lyell's syndrome, also known as toxic epidermal necrolysis Credit: Cureus 3 It caused the 25-year-old's skin to peel off in sheets Credit: Cureus 3 The skin condition carries with it a mortality rate between 20 and 40 per cent Credit: Cureus But just days after starting the medication to treat her bipolar, she noticed a red rash spreading rapidly across her body. By day four she decided to head to the hospital after the marks started blistering and large areas of skin started falling off. Doctors treating her at Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital in Morocco quickly diagnosed her with Lyell's syndrome, also known as toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). This is a rare but life-threatening reaction to a medication - which in this case was lamotrigine. But it has also been associated with antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen. Advertisement It happens when the body overreacts to a drug causing the outer layer of skin, known as the epidermis, to detach and peel away in sheets, exposing the raw, sensitive tissue beneath. In previous reports survivors of the condition have described the experience as feeling like they were being 'burned from the inside out' or 'cooked alive, due to the intense pain and widespread skin loss it triggers. In worst-case scenarios, it can leave those affected vulnerable to life-threatening complications like sepsis and organ failure - it carries a mortality rate between 20 and 40 per cent. In this case, published as part of a report in the journal Cureus, almost 30 per cent of her body surface area had been affected including her chest, back, arms, and thighs. Advertisement Large sections of skin had already sloughed off by the time she arrived at hospital, leaving painful, exposed areas that had to be treated like serious burns. Doctors also noted that her mucous membranes were involved, meaning the reaction had affected not just her skin but also the inside of her mouth and genitals, a common but dangerous feature of TEN. Charlotte's agony: Surviving Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Once admitted, the unidentified woman was transferred to a specialist burns unit, as TEN causes skin damage similar to that seen in people with major burn injuries. "TEN is often described as a severe burn-like skin reaction because it causes widespread epidermal necrosis and detachment similar to that seen in patients with extensive burns," the authors of the report wrote. Advertisement After intensive treatment in the burns unit including wound care, pain relief, and fluid replacement she began to recover. Doctors immediately stopped the lamotrigine to prevent further skin damage and prescribed another medication to manage her bipolar disorder safely. The authors stressed that while TEN is a rare reaction, patients starting drugs like lamotrigine should be monitored closely for early symptoms such as fever, rash, and blistering. "The early recognition and discontinuation of the offending drug is crucial in improving patient outcomes," they concluded. Advertisement
Qatar Tribune
06-05-2025
- Health
- Qatar Tribune
HMC showcases world-class dermatology services in ‘Your Health, Our Priority' drive
Hanane Djoua Doha As part of its ongoing Your Health, Our Priority campaign, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has spotlighted its Dermatology and Venereology Department — a regional hub of excellence in skin health that continues to gain global recognition for innovation, research, and specialised care. HMC's Dermatology Department delivers high-quality, personalised treatment for patients of all ages and conditions — ranging from eczema, psoriasis, vitiligo, and alopecia to skin cancer, rare genetic disorders, and complex autoimmune diseases. The department also stands at the forefront of technological advancement and multidisciplinary research in dermatology. 'Our dermatology services reflect HMC's broader commitment to delivering specialised, world-class healthcare to the community of Qatar,' said Prof Martin Steinhoff, chairman of HMC's Dermatology and Venereology Department. Ranked among the top two percent of researchers worldwide by Stanford University, Prof Steinhoff emphasised the department's capacity to address both common and rare skin disorders with the most updated and tailored therapies. In an interview with Qatar Tribune, Prof Steinhoff said, 'Our department is the largest of its kind in Qatar and among the most advanced in the region. With over 14 sub-specialty clinics, we see more than 300 patients a day and cover the full spectrum of dermatologic services — from medical and surgical dermatology to advanced therapies for genetic and autoimmune skin diseases.' Among the key services offered are: • Biologic and immunomodulatory therapies for inflammatory skin diseases; • Advanced laser treatments for pigmentation, scarring, and rosacea; • Dermato-surgery for skin biopsies and cancer excisions; • Hair and scalp clinics for alopecia and related disorders; • Light-based therapies for conditions such as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; • Paediatric and geriatric dermatology clinics — the latter being one of the first worldwide; • Genetic dermatology for rare genodermatoses and haemangiomas; • Sclerotherapy and foam sclerotherapy for varicose and spider veins. 'The integration of real-time skin imaging, dermoscopy, and ultrasound in our diagnostics enables earlier, more precise detection of life-threatening conditions like melanoma and scleroderma,' Dr Steinhoff noted, adding that emergency care for severe skin conditions such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, drug allergies, and erythroderma is also part of their specialty. Commenting on the department's international vision, he shared, 'We are now developing aesthetic dermatology as a future service and are consistently adopting the latest minimally invasive treatments and biologic medications. Our mission is to bring the same level of care that patients would receive in leading centres like New York or Berlin — right here in Qatar.' Prof Steinhoff also revealed that the Dermatology Department offers an American-accredited residency program, ensuring that Qatari-trained dermatologists receive an education aligned with international standards. 'From day one, our residents follow a rigorous curriculum equivalent to what they would experience in the US or Germany. We host educational workshops, collaborate with global experts, and constantly bring international knowledge into Qatar,' he said. Dr Ayda Al Hammadi, senior consultant at the department, echoed this vision, saying, 'Our goal is not only to treat but to set new global standards in dermatological care.' Dr Sara Al Khawaga, specialist in dermatology, emphasised the blend of compassionate care and scientific progress, noting, 'We ensure every patient receives the most effective, evidence-based treatment.' Dr Aysha Al Malki, director of the Dermatology Residency Programme, said: 'Our strength lies in combining research, education, and clinical excellence. Through this, we continue to build a future-ready, world-class dermatology service in Qatar.'
