In November this year, the indigenous refugee population in Brazil reached 10 thousand people, with 66% belonging to the Warao ethnic group, the oldest indigenous group in Venezuela.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced that the Venezuelan indigenous population in Brazil reached the mark of 10 thousand people in November this year. Among these stories of migration and adaptation, Paola Abache stands out, a trans woman who left Venezuela in 2019, fleeing the socioeconomic crisis and discrimination.
From a young age, Paola knew she was a woman, but she faced resistance and prejudice in her community. “I dressed up and put on makeup in secret so that my family wouldn’t know. I always liked the catwalks and beauty contests, and I always wanted to be like that, just like those people I saw,” she said.
Currently, Paola lives in the Waraotuma a Tuaranoko shelter, in Boa Vista, Roraima. The place, created by Operação Acolhida, was named by the residents themselves and means “place where the Warao rest”. In November this year, the indigenous refugee population in Brazil reached 10 thousand people, with 66% belonging to the Warao ethnic group, the oldest indigenous group in Venezuela. Another 27% are from the Pemon ethnic group, and the rest includes the Kariña, Eñepa and Wayúu ethnic groups.
At 23, Paola found out about a Miss pageant in Boa Vista and decided to participate. “I was like, participate, this will be good for you,” she recalls. However, the registration raised doubts. “My nationality is Venezuelan: can I apply, will they accept me?”
Facing financial difficulties, Paola counted on the help of friends to get dresses and makeup. “At the time I was very nervous,” she revealed. “When it was my turn, I shook a lot. She saw the other participants better dressed and thought she wanted to look like them, but she wasn’t. I continued as I was, I competed, I showed that I could also be there. In the end, I participated and won.” Paola was crowned Miss Trans Parada LGBTQIA+ 2023 in Roraima.
For Paola, being a trans, indigenous and refugee woman is a constant struggle. “It means showing other people that we trans people are the same, people like them, flesh and blood like them.” She feels safer in Brazil, where she says people are more respectful and kind. “Now where I live, everyone respects your decisions, your way of living, of dressing.”
By Ezatamentchy with information from UNHCR.
Source: Maxima
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