VOA慢速英语--美国支持委内瑞拉移民在巴西定居计划

United States and United Nations agencies launched a program this week to help tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants settle in Brazil.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration¹ (IOM) are leading the effort.

USAID officials said the agency will provide $4 million to support the program. The money will help Venezuelan migrants get official employment, business training and language classes. Venezuela is a Spanish-speaking nation while Brazil is a Portuguese-speaking country.

About 4.6 million Venezuelans have fled the political and economic crisis in that country. Almost 900,000 have crossed the border into Brazil since 2018. The Brazilian government says they are still entering Brazil at an average rate of 500 a day.

Most have continued on to other Spanish-speaking countries. But 264,000 Venezuelans have applied² to stay in Brazil. As a result, social services in the Brazilian border state of Roraima have struggled to deal with immigrants.

The program supported by USAID and the IOM will work with the Brazilian military's efforts to move Venezuelan immigrants to cities further south. Migrants will have more opportunities for sustainable work and a new life there.

The program is called Economic Integration³ of Vulnerable Nationals from Venezuela in Brazil. John Barsa, USAID assistant administrator⁴ for Latin America, launched the program in Brazil's capital, Brasilia. He said it is not a long-term answer, but provides needed help until stability returns to Venezuela.

He added, "That will only happen when the illegitimate Maduro regime is no longer in power." U.S. President Donald Trump⁵'s administration supports opposition⁶ leader Juan Guaidó rather than Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

USAID said it has already provided nearly $15 million to support Venezuelans in Brazil.

The Trump administration lowered the number of refugees from any country it will permit to resettle in the United States in 2020 to 18,000. That is the lowest level in the history of the modern refugee program.

Army Colonel George Kanaan oversees⁷ the border processing operation. He said since April 2019, Brazil has moved 27,222 Venezuelan refugees and migrants to southern cities.

Jose Angel Perez and his family are among those refugees. Perez was an oil truck driver for state oil company PDVSA in Anaco in eastern Venezuela. He is hoping the new program will help find him work in Brazil.

He said, "I need a job, so does my wife. We plan to stay. Change will not come quickly in Venezuela."

Words in This Story

stability –n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change

illegitimate –adj. not allowed according to rules or laws

regime –n. a form of government; a particular government

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

4 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

5 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网