Venezuelan Migration Crisis puts the Region's Democratic Governability at Risk (original) (raw)

Migration and Development Venezuelan economic crisis: crossing Latin American and Caribbean borders

The Venezuelan economic crisis has created a direct impact on the migration patterns in Latin America and the Caribbean, both voluntary and involuntary. The ramifications of the crisis are political and economic, as Venezuelans flee political upheaval in search of economic opportunity. Exacerbated levels of poverty, crime, hyperinflation and poor governance have all increased the migration of Venezuelans to neighboring Caribbean and Latin American countries. There has also been a renewed concern for human trafficking in the region as the countrys' already vulnerable population fall victim to sex tourism, smuggling, and forced migration across borders. This south-to-south migration is worth examining, because neighboring countries are ill equipped to absorb millions of emigrants who are now pouring into their borders seeking refuge and social mobility. As a once thriving economy collapses, its citizens are fighting to survive, seeing migration as its only solution, amidst crime, poverty, food insecurity and political instability.

Understanding the Venezuelan Migratory Reality: A Sum of Systemic, Complex and Profound Crises

Dr. Jorge Eliecer Diaz Forero, 2023

It is pertinent to clarify that the destroyed Venezuelan economy is not the main cause of migration from that country. In addition, it is mandatory to understand that root causes must be correlated as part of a serious analysis. What does this mean? Understanding the phenomenon of Forced Migration (FM) requires diverse perspectives. It's a complex phenomenon, it's in a sense: multifaceted. There is no single factor. This article focuses on the following dimensions: 1. Political and economic: from the Productive Matrix (PM), 2. The Social: from the Welfare State (EB) and 3. Human Rights: as a Humanitarian Conflict (CH). This is a theoreticaldocumentary type of research. Its structure is basically: introduction, development, analysis of the aforementioned categories, and conclusions. The delimitation and scope of this work covers only three dimensions of this reality, understood as causes of origin. T h e objective was to analyze the deep, still underlying, causes and triggers of recent Venezuelan migration. The research method consisted of making a dissertation of an ontological and epistemic nature. It is a reflection from the hermeneutic (interpretative) discursiveness based on the interrelation and correlation of the categories indicated. It concludes that the Venezuelan mono-productive rentier model generated a vulnerable MP, which made unsustainable an EB that deteriorated along with the decrease in income from oil sales. This had an impact and led to a structural and systemic crisis; called "Humanitarian Crisis" (CH). Thus, the need to leave Venezuela in the midst of this context is justified!

Regional Responses to Venezuela’s Mass Population Displacement

2020

By August 2020, 5.18 million people had fled Venezuela due to its political, economic, and social crisis. Most of those who left since 2014 chose Latin American destinations, given the elevated economic and administrative costs of migrating to destinations in the global North: 1.76 million Venezuelan citizens lived in Colombia, 829,708 in Peru, 455,494 in Chile, 362,857 in Ecuador, and 264,617 in Brazil. Despite existing regional and national mechanisms for the reception and regularization of Venezuelan migrants, such as the Cartagena Declaration refugee definition, many host countries developed ad hoc policy responses. Despite initial general generosity across the region, increasing numbers and rising xenophobia led to a shift towards restrictive policy reactions and de facto border closures towards Venezuelans, even before COVID-19. Regarding Venezuela’s Andean neighbors, Ecuador and Peru have taken an especially stark restrictive shift, while Colombia has maintained relative open...

The Impacts of the Venezuelan Migration Crisis on Hispanic-American Countries

IJASS JOURNAL, 2024

The Bolivarian Revolution led by Hugo Chávez and the ensuing economic crisis triggered a massive migratory exodus from Venezuela starting in the early 2000s, making it one of the most significant migration movements of the 21st century. This study aims to analyze the consequences of this migration, including the diverse social impacts of the large number of Venezuelan immigrants on other Latin American countries. It also investigates the reactions and migration policies of the receiving countries, highlights the severity of the Venezuelan migrant crisis and its global ramifications, and calls on international and regional organizations to address the issue and implement appropriate measures to support Venezuelan refugees in overcoming the crisis

Displaced Venezuelans in Latin America: A Test of Regional Solidarity?

2021

Since 2015, South American countries have been dealing with the greatest forced displacement in their history. More than 5.6 million Venezuelans have left their country under harsh conditions, fleeing deteriorating living conditions, famine and lack of access to medical treatment and basic care. Eighty per cent of these people have gone to other South American countries, such as Colombia, Peru, Ecuador or Chili, sometimes even crossing a large part of the continent on foot. This displacement coincides with a difficult context for the entire continent due to economic, social and political challenges, in addition to the Covid-19 pandemic. The reception of Venezuelan migrants and refugees is a major challenge for the region. South America has experienced substantial migration flows in the past, whose specificities inspired the foundation of a whole set of institutions, systems, practices and frameworks for migration governance. This governance is characterized by an open approach to mi...

Venezuela: Deeper into the Abyss

Revista de ciencia política (Santiago), 2018

Fissures between the ruling Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) and its grassroots base widened amid disaffection with the dismal economic performance of President Nicolás Maduro's government and the trend of militarization in his administration. Economic crisis and chronic insecurity accelerated migration. Opposition strategies of violent protest resumed as the executive continued to bypass the opposition-controlled legislature. Long-term divisions within the Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (MUD) alliance over strategies for removing the government prevented the opposition from capitalizing on social discontent. The rift between parties supporting electoral approaches and more radical perspectives pressing for the overthrow of the government were replicated among external actors, whose interventions aggravated rather than alleviated political tensions.