"I started from zero in Sweden. I had just two suitcases, David only one," says Zulimer.
When Zulimer Vázquez, 45, and her son David, 18, left Venezuela in early 2023 for a short vacation in Stockholm, they had no idea they would not be able to return home.
Zulimer already quietly supported the Venezuelan resistance, an independent movement opposing the controversial government of Nicolás Maduro, a regime she says "has stolen everything from its people.”
However, while in Sweden, in despair over the collapse of Venezuela’s health system and its treatment of her sick mother, Zulimer recorded a video exposing the failures of her home country's health system and tagged regime officials. It was an act of desperate resistance that would change her life forever.
Zulimer had been a doctor in Venezuela. After graduating in 2006, she worked in an ER department until 2017, but was regularly unpaid by the struggling government. Needing a new source of income, in 2018 she trained to specialise in non-surgical aesthetic medicine.
Ironically, her new clients were the wealthy in Caracas, many of whom were connected to the government she was quietly opposing.
– When I made the video about the situation in Venezuela, people in the government didn't know anything about my involvement in the resistance. I worked as a doctor for many officials’ wives. I could not refuse to treat them because when you become a doctor you pledge a Hippocratic Oath which respects patient autonomy and ethical considerations, says Zulimer.
Within days of the video's release, her contacts in Venezuela sent urgent warnings: police had raided her apartment, and if she returned, she risked imprisonment or worse. She did not board her flight back. On February 28, her birthday, she applied for asylum in Sweden.
– I started from zero in Sweden. I had just two suitcases, David only one, says Zulimer.
"Once we see our nations free, because nothing lasts forever, we will be ready to contribute to their rebuilding," says Zulimer.
Today, she lives in Byske with David and her partner, Korey. She is channeling her experience of exile into a new mission of solidarity with her NGO, Angels for a Better World. The organisation aims to build a network of support for migrants and refugees, born from her own journey of escaping a regime that, according to a new Human Rights Watch report, continues to systematically kill, detain, and torture critics.
While rebuilding her life in Norrland, Zulimer and David faced further uncertainty. Changing migration laws meant even those fleeing countries experiencing war and violence, were being sent back or denied asylum. Zulimer felt that her own experience was a message.
– You have to start helping people who need and deserve it, she says.
Angels for a Better World was born. This NGO is set to launch later this year and aims to build a network of emotional and practical support for migrants, refugees, and anyone in vulnerable situations.
– When we came here we started meeting a lot of marvellous people that were like angels on a road, just helping out of pure empathy. We met a lot of people who were living through similar circumstances as us, says Zulimer.
Her story, however, isn’t only about struggle. It is also about resilience, unlikely connections, and a new sense of belonging.
When she and David were first placed in an asylum shelter in Boden, Zulimer turned to Tinder. There she met Korey, an American who helped her settle in Byske.
Life in Skellefteå has been an adjustment.
– Winters are harsh, but the summers are wonderful, she says.
She is grateful for SFI and the way teachers support newcomers learning Swedish. She also appreciates how Skellefteå’s community welcomed them.
David emphasises that building a new life requires respect.
– It’s important to act as if someone is watching: to follow the rules and appreciate the country that has given you all these good things, he says.
Zulimer continues to engage with the Venezuelan resistance abroad, helping coordinate protests and maintain awareness. But she believes her main contribution now is humanitarian.
– We may not be able to change the realities of the countries we came from - not right now, she says.
– And we are here for a reason. We had to escape war, authoritarian regimes, or extreme violence. But with everything we’ve learned along the way, we can help others. And why not? Once we see our nations free, because nothing lasts forever, we will be ready to contribute to their rebuilding, says Zulimer.
For newcomers arriving in Skellefteå, her advice is practical and hopeful: learn the language, show commitment at work, and honour local culture.
– People here value your effort, she says.
– Everyone has something to give.
Zulimer’s story is proof that exile does not have to end in despair.
Instead, it can spark something quietly radical: a belief that every act of empathy plants a seed of change.
Zulimer Vázquez photographed close to her home in Byske.
Zulimer Vázquez photographed close to her home in Byske.
Zulimer Vázquez photographed close to her home in Byske.
Zulimer Vázquez photographed close to her home in Byske.