LIMA, Peru (AP) — Thousands of Venezuelans in Peru lost jobs as delivery drivers, cooks and casino workers when the coronavirus pandemic began. Many pivoted to other jobs, while others started their own small businesses. But their efforts to make honest livings have increasingly been overshadowed by local attention to the crimes of a few Venezuelans. Activists say that’s fueling xenophobia among Peruvians. With elections coming in April, some politicians have been focusing on migrants who they say are disproportionately involved in crime. But the U.N. says government data belie claims Venezuelans are more involved in wrongdoing.
