In a context of multiple crises — financial, political, ethical, and within international ‘aid’— that are impacting migrant and refugee communities across the Americas, organizations led by Venezuelans in Mexico, Ecuador, and Costa Rica will share their experiences, challenges, and proposals for driving systemic change. This convening will bring together representatives from Yo Soy Tu Pana (Ecuador), Apoyo a Migrantes Venezolanos AC (Mexico), Venezuela Global (Brazil), and Fundación VenCR (Costa Rica) — organizations that, together, have provided migratory, legal, and social assistance to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan and other migrant and refugee populations across the Americas.

They will address urgent issues such as:

• The sharp reduction in funding and its impact on migrants, refugees, and the organizations that support them.
  
  

• The rise in criminalization and hate speech, and strategies to counter them.
  
  

• The power of greater meaningful participation by migrants and refugees, and the pathways to achieve it.
  
  

• The overlooked mental health consequences of these crises on migrants and refugees, based on research involving thousands of affected individuals.
  
  

• The importance of alliances among organizations and with nontraditional actors (such as universities, artists, and media) to promote integration and development.
  
  

Join us for this urgent conversation to highlight the contributions of migrant- and refugee-led organizations, understand their struggles, and reflect collectively on what must change to ensure rights, dignity, and justice in host and transit countries.

Participants

July Rodríguez, Founder and director of Apoyo a Migrantes Venezolanos AC, Mexico.

Dedicated to the defense of the human rights of migrants of all nationalities, both those residing in Mexico and those in transit. Her work is characterized by empowering migrant communities through projects, programs, and campaigns on health, education, entrepreneurship, human rights promotion, among many others. She has also contributed to research focused on understanding the challenges migrant communities face in the country. Her guiding principle is the pursuit of tangible results in her work. She is a member of the Citizens' Council of the National Migration Institute (INM), the Quadripartite Commission of COMAR, the Mesoamerican Network, the Identity and Education Group, the Dialogue Group led by refugees and forcibly displaced persons (Merlos), the Migration Policy Working Group (GTPM), the Detention Working Group, among many others.

William A. Clavijo Vitto, Founder & President of Venezuela Global, Brazil.

Residing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the past decade, William is the president and founder of the Venezuela Global Association since 2021. This is the first association founded and led by Venezuelans in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with the aim of promoting the social and economic integration of Venezuelan migrants and refugees, as well as individuals of other nationalities, in Brazil. Additionally, William served as the Country Coordinator of the Coalition for Venezuela in Brazil from 2021 until his election as a Board Member for the 2023–2025 term. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science with a focus on International Politics from the Universidad Católica del Táchira in San Cristóbal, Venezuela. He earned a Master's in Foreign Trade and International Finance from Universidade Cândido Mendes (UCAM) in Rio de Janeiro, and completed his Master's and Ph.D. in Public Policies, Strategies, and Development at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).

Betzabeth Jaramillo, Founder and director of Fundación Yo Te Apoyo, Ecuador.

Political scientist, writer, and human rights activist with extensive experience in human mobility and safe, orderly, and regular migration. Founder of Yo Te Apoyo, an organization that has provided free legal and migration assistance to over 5,000 people, directly impacting 90,000 lives across Latin America. She was the first recognized refugee to work in the National Assembly of Ecuador, where she contributed to legislative projects, strengthening legal tools to protect the most vulnerable populations. Through her social media platforms, she has achieved unprecedented reach, connecting with over 400,000 people in Ecuador and 2 million globally. Her work has helped bring visibility to the migration crisis, promote inclusive solutions, and build bridges between communities, organizations, and governments.

Roberto Blanco, Director of Projects at Fundación VenCR, Costa Rica.

With extensive experience in international cooperation and advocacy leadership, he participated in the 2nd Global Refugee Forum in Geneva as part of the delegation of 70 global experts on refuge and forced displacement, selected by UNHCR. As a civil society representative, he has participated in various multilateral forums such as the 54th General Assembly of the OAS, the Quito Process, among others. He currently serves as Director of Projects at Alianza VenCR and Country Coordinator for the Coalition for Venezuela. He is also the founder of Futuro Sostenible, an initiative that promotes regional research on development, sustainability, and civic education. Roberto is a lawyer, holds a diploma in Governance and Public Innovation, and a Master's in Conflict Resolution from the University for Peace of the United Nations. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy at the National University of Costa Rica.

Mara Tissera Luna (moderator), KujaLearn Content Advisor.

Date and time: June 4, 2025

• San Francisco, USA – 09:00
• Mexico City, Mexico – 10:00
• Caracas, Venezuela – 12:00
• New York, USA - 12:00 
• Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro – 13:00
• London, UK - 16:00
• Cape Town, South Africa - 18:00
• Nairobi, Kenya - 19:00
• Delhi, India - 22:00

Duration: 1.15 hour - Language: Spanish with live interpretation into English