This is an outdated version published on 2023-08-06. Read the most recent version.

Institutional Discrimination and the Politicization of Migration: The Case of the Colombia–Venezuela Border

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3986/dd.2022.2.04

Keywords:

Venezuelan migration, Colombia, Venezuela, migration policies, COVID-19

Abstract

In this article, the author presents the migratory phenomenon at the Colombia–Venezuela border in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article is based on many sources, including presidential addresses, statements, decrees, and press releases. The author argues how humanitarian assistance has been based on political maneuvering by the governments of Colombia and Venezuela, which constitutes discriminatory practices against Venezuelan migrants. The paper finally points out how this situation has aggravated the migration crisis, characterized by serious violations of fundamental human rights of the Venezuelan migrant population.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abramovits, Adriana (2020). Covid-19: ¿En dónde quedan los migrantes? El Espectador, 25. 3. 2020, https://www.elespectador.com/coronavirus/covid-19-en-donde-quedan-los-migrantes-articulo-910901 (27. 11. 2020).

ACAPS (2021). COLOMBIA/VENEZUELA: The Caminantes: needs and vulnerabilities of Venezuelan refugees and migrants travelling on foot. ACAPS Thematic report, January 2021, https://www.acaps.org/sites/acaps/files/products/files/20210121_acaps_thematic_report_caminantes_in_colombia_and_venezuela.pdf (10. 6. 2021).

Agencia EFE (2020). Duque alerta a la ONU y a la OIM de restricciones de Venezuela a sus retornados. Agencia EFE, 8. 6. 2020, https://www.efe.com/efe/america/politica/duque-alerta-a-la-onu-y-oim-de-restricciones-venezuela-sus-retornados/20000035-4266463 (18. 6. 2021).

Cadena Montenegro, José Luis (2007). Geografía política: tensión en las fronteras de Colombia como efecto de su conflicto interno. Revista de Relaciones Internacionales, Estrategia y Seguridad 2/2, 93–126. https://doi.org/10.18359/ries.2596.

Castañeda, Jorge G. (2020). Colombia Is Dealing With a Terrifying Refugee Crisis. Will Wealthy Nations Step Up to Help? The New York Times, 10. 3. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/opinion/international-world/venezuela-colombia-refugees-crisis.html (10. 3. 2021).

Chavés, Diego (2020). Colombia Border Closure Puts Refugees and Migrants at Risk during Covid-19 Crisis. Migration Policy Institute, https://www.migrationportal.org/insight/colombia-border-closure-puts-refugees-migrants-risk-during-covid-19-crisis (5. 3. 2021).

DANE (2020). Boletín Técnico, Pobreza Monetaria en Colombia, Año 2019, https://www.dane.gov.co/files/investigaciones/condiciones_vida/pobreza/2019/Boletin-pobreza-monetaria_2019.pdf (13. 2. 2021).

DANE (2021). Pobreza y desigualdad, https://www.dane.gov.co/index.php/estadisticas-por-tema/pobreza-y-condiciones-de-vida/pobreza-monetaria (29. 7. 2021).

Della Puppa, Francesco, Perocco, Fabio (2021). The Coronavirus Crisis and Migration: Inequalities, Discrimination, Resistance. Dve domovini / Two Homelands 54, 13–28. https://doi.org/10.3986/dd.2021.2.01.

ECLAC (2019). Social Panorama of Latin America, 2019, Santiago: ECLAC, https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/44989/1/S1901132_en.pdf (16. 10. 2020).

GIFMM Colombia (2020). Joint needs assessment Covid-19, June 2020, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/78013.pdf (27. 11. 2020).

Graham, Jimmy, Guerrero Ble, Martha, Panayotatos, Daphne, Leghtas, Izza (2020). From Displacement to Development, How Colombia Can Transform Venezuelan Displacement into Shared Growth, Center for Global Development, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL, https://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/from-displacement-to-development-112.pdf (20. 6. 2021).

Jiménez Aguilar, Carlos Manuel (2008). La frontera colombo-venezolana: una sola región en una encrucijada entre dos estados. Reflexión Política 10/20, 258–272, https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/110/11002019.pdf (20. 6. 2021).

Ombudsman’s Office of Colombia (2021). Defensoría del Pueblo reporta que en 2020 aumentaron las muertes de líderes sociales, https://www.defensoria.gov.co/es/nube/enlosmedios/9930/Defensor%C3%ADa-del-Pueblo-reporta-que-en-2020-aumentaron-las-muertes-de-l%C3%ADderes-sociales.htm (19. 8. 2021).

Pajnik, Mojca (2019). Autonomy of Migration and the Governmentality of Plastic Borders. Dve domovini / Two Homelands 45, 125–141. https://doi.org/10.3986/dd.v0i49.7257.

Palomares, Milagros (2021). INFORME | Así viven los migrantes venezolanos en Colombia. Proyecto Migración Venezuela, https://migravenezuela.com/web/articulo/asi-viven-los-migrantes-venezolanos-en-colombia/2566 (21. 7. 2021).

Pastrana Buelvas, Eduardo (2010). Colombian Relations with Venezuela and Ecuador in the Regional Security Scenario: Recent Dilemmas and New Tendencies, VII Conference of Forte de Copacabana International Security A European–South American Dialogue, https://www.kas.de/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=af84794b-6bb7-5f7e-63ed-b20daea56b11&groupId=265553 (22. 10. 2020).

Perocco, Fabio (2021). The Coronavirus Crisis and Migration: The Pan-Syndemic and Its Impact on Migrants. Dve domovini / Two Homelands 54, 13–28. https://doi.org/10.3986/dd.2021.2.02.

Pulzo (2020). [Video] Policías encuentran a habitante de calle en alcantarilla y le dan sorpresa, https://www.pulzo.com/nacion/cuarentena-policias-encuentran-habitante-calle-refugiado-alcantarilla-PP874857 (3. 8. 2020).

Redacción Blu Radio (2020). Venezolanos que no tengan doble nacionalidad ni estén regularizados no tendrán vacuna COVID: Duque https://www.bluradio.com/nacion/venezolanos-que-no-tengan-doble-nacionalidad-ni-esten-regularizados-no-tendran-vacuna-covid-duque (21. 02. 2021).

R4V (2018). R4V Refugee and Migrant Response Plan, January–December 2019, https://data.unhcr.org/es/documents/details/67282 (14. 12. 2020).

Sánchez, Karen (2020). ACNUR Colombia: El 60% de los migrantes venezolanos no tienen ingresos. Voz de América, https://www.vozdeamerica.com/venezuela/acnur-colombia-entrevista-jozef-merkx-situacion-migrantes-venezolanos-pandemia (15. 02. 2021).

Symmes Cobb, Julia, Acosta, Luis Jaime (2020). Venezuela is a health ‘time bomb,’ Colombian president says. Reuters, 26. 7. 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-colombia/venezuela-is-a-health-time-bomb-colombian-president-says-idUSKBN23X2UA (15. 11. 2020).

Taraciuk Broner, Tamara, Page, Kathleen (2020). Stuck at Venezuela’s Border with Covid-19 All Around. Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/15/stuck-venezuelas-border-covid-19-all-around (20. 10. 2021).

Torres, César (2020). Venezuela denounces before UN, PAHO inaction of Colombian authorities against Covid-19 on border. Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, http://www.mppre.gob.ve/en/2020/05/20/venezuela-un-paho-inaction-colombian-authorities-covid-19-border (20. 10. 2020).

UNHCR (2020). Actualización #16 respuesta del ACNUR en Colombia (1-15 de noviembre 2020), https://reliefweb.int/report/colombia/actualizaci-n-16-respuesta-del-acnur-en-colombia-1-15-de-noviembre-2020 (3. 2. 2021).

UNHCR (2021). COLOMBIA – MAY 2021, LABOR MARKET ACCESS AND INTEGRATION, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNHCR_Colombia_FS%20Labor%20Market%20Access%20NV%20English.pdf (25. 7. 2021).

UN Security Council (2020). United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia Report of the Secretary-General, S/2020/943, https://undocs.org/en/S/2020/943 (20. 6. 2021).

Venezolana de Televisión (2020). En primeros 90 días de 2021 se vacunarán gratuitamente a 10 millones de habitantes en Venezuela, incluidos los extranjeros https://www.vtv.gob.ve/primeros-90-dias-2021-vacunaran-10-millones-habitantes-venezuela (29. 2. 2021).

Downloads

Published

2022-07-09 — Updated on 2023-08-06

Versions

How to Cite

Serrano Frattali, J. P. (2023). Institutional Discrimination and the Politicization of Migration: The Case of the Colombia–Venezuela Border. Two Homelands, 2022(56). https://doi.org/10.3986/dd.2022.2.04 (Original work published July 9, 2022)

Issue

Section

Articles