The coronavirus pandemic has produced profound impacts worldwide, but some populations have been hit hardest, including migrants. This article analyzes how the pandemic has deepened the vulnerability of Venezuelan migrants in South America, especially in Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Colombia.
Since 2014, more than 5 million citizens have left Venezuela, mostly to neighboring countries. This scenario started due to the economic, political, supply and humanitarian crisis faced by the State. The government of Nicolás Maduro is accused of political persecution of the opposition and also of using the humanitarian crisis as a persecution tool. For those reasons, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recommended recognizing Venezuelans as refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention. Both organizations also stated that recognition could be achieved based on the wider criteria of the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees.
Securitization of migration in South America
This migration flow provoked different government responses across South America. Firstly, none of the regional countries has recognized Venezuelans as refugees under the Cartagena Declaration. Only a few were recognized under the 1951 Convention and on a case-by-case basis. In July 2019, Brazil became the first country in South America – and only thus far – to recognize Venezuelan migrants as refugees based on the wider criteria of the Cartagena Declaration. Thus, the regularization of Venezuelans occurred mostly on an ad hoc basis.
