Dominican Republic, Venezuela invert crisis in 50 years

Santo Domingo.- The number of Venezuelans inthe streets of Dominican Republic´s capital, Santo Domingo looking to eke out aliving grows and completes an inversion of fortunes that stretches nearly halfa century.

The Venezuelans compete with the locals and Haitianshawking a wide variety of items from snacks to sunglasses, after emigratingfrom their country´s seemingly endless crisis.

Outlet elnuevodiario.com.do reports that in SantoDomingo´s various busy intersections some of the immigrants are eager to share their stories.

One of these, Katerine Mendoza, who hailsfrom Barquisimeto (western Venezuela), tells of how she’s been forced to make aliving in the streets of the Dominican capital, where she came to live to fleethe "difficult situation" facing her country.

50-year switch

It has been nearly half a century since tensof thousands of Dominicans, also looking to escape a hobbled economy, flockedto Venezuela looking to work in that nation´s then booming oil industry.