Fleeing hardship at home, bias abroad, Venezuelans flock to U.S.

FILE PHOTO: Asylum-seeking migrants' families from Venezuela reach the shore after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico in Del Rio, Texas, U.S., May 26, 2021. REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo

CARACAS/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When Antonio joined anti-government demonstrations in Venezuela five years ago to protest against daily power outages and long lines for food, he hoped to be part of a movement to unseat President Nicolas Maduro.

Instead, Maduro has remained in power and Antonio suffered years of threats and extortion from police in retaliation, he said. In April, after a sixth extortion attempt, he joined a growing number of Venezuelans fleeing north to the United States.