Research Paper

Millions of Venezuelan citizens have been forced to leave their native country, due to the misfortune and worsening of the abuse of power in the country, additionally, a collapsed economy, where there is hyperinflation, and not only that, but also, the deprivation of social and economic freedoms. Since 2013, the Venezuelan administration has not yet been able to impose solid macroeconomics or investment policy practices. According to German Caruso, Christian Gomez Canon, and Valerie Mueller, the authors of “Spillover effects of the Venezuelan crisis: migration impacts in Colombia,” Venezuela is commonly referred as the Syria of Latin America.

When Hugo Chavez, became the President after the Bolivarian Revolution in 1999, Venezuela experienced a remarkable change in its governance. Chavez's intentions were to reform the political system so that the greatest power of jurisdiction was the President, and as such, the protection of social programs for the poor.

Despite his short term in the regime, he was able to carry out his agenda relying mostly on the exportation of extensive oil reserves. This way, the income that was generated by these oil exports could be used to support various policies, including universal coverage of public services, among others. However, when Nicolas Maduro, current President, took office in 2013, the Venezuelan government no longer had a way to sustain its expenses with the income that was coming from oil exports. Unfortunately, many restrictions were modified on multiple occasions in order to regulate the national debt, but without any success, none of the macroeconomic policies helped, but instead, they served to slow the growth of non-oil industries.

As a result of stagnation, political upheaval, socio-economic instability, food and medicine shortages, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis, approximately five million migrants and refugees have left Venezuela. Unfortunately, this situation has become the largest external displacement crisis seen in the history of Latin America. (VRMC, 2020).

The millions of Venezuelans who have been forced to abandon their homelands, cross over many countries in South American by foot, without knowing what their final destination will be, in search of a better life. Most of them leaving their communities, their families, or their loved ones behind. Not only that, but during those long journeys, many of these people put their lives in danger. Many of them do not carry documents with them while they cross the borders, and this can cause serious risks since they can fall into the hands of smugglers or worse, traffickers; especially, risking the lives of women and children who could be more vulnerable to these scenarios. However, neighborhood countries around the region have served as support for them, as many have been generous enough to open their borders in order to provide access to Venezuelans, also by offering them jobs, educational assistance, and medical care. According to the statistics presented in “Venezuelan Refugee and Migrant Crisis,” the majority of Venezuelans on the move have remained in the region. The country that hosts the largest number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants is Colombia, with a total of 1.8 million Venezuelans. There are also other nations that have served as shelters for Venezuelans, including Chile with a total of 455,500, Peru with a total of 861,000, Brazil with a total of 253,500, and Ecuador with a total of 366,600. (VRMC, 2020). Overall, and based on the “Voluntary vs Involuntary Migration” blog post shared in this assignment, the correct term that can be used to classify Venezuelans as if today, is an involuntary migration, as millions of them have been forced to leave everything in search of a better tomorrow, a better quality of life, and possible as a way to help those who could not go in that journey along them.

References:

Caruso, G., Canon, C. G., and Mueller, V. (2019). Spillover effects of the Venezuelan crisis: migration impacts in Colombia. Oxford Economic Papers. https://doi.org/10.1093/oep/gpz072

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Refugees and migrants from Venezuela top 4 million: UNHCR and IOM. UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2019/6/5cfa2a4a4/refugees%E2%80%93migrants%E2%80%93venezuela%E2%80%93top%E2%80%934%E2%80%93million%E2%80%93unhcr%E2%80%93iom.html.

Venezuelan Refugee and Migrant Crisis. International Organization for Migration. (2020). https://www.iom.int/venezuela-refugee-and-migrant-crisis.

VibeThemes. Migration. BuddingGeographers. https://www.buddinggeographers.com/changing-population/migration/.

C- Respond and review Two other classmate's post (2 point)

(One paragraph is equal to 3 to 4 sentences) 

Reviewing and Responding other student's post and discuss their findings.