Voices and experiences of Venezuelan migrant children and adolescents in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
Around 3 million Venezuelans have left their country in recent years, 2 million of whom have settled in Latin America and the Caribbean. Twenty-five percent of them are children and adolescents. To focus on this population and understand their shared needs for protection, care, and support, CLACSO undertook a qualitative and ethnographic research project, incorporating the voices and contexts of Venezuelan migrant children and adolescents in Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. The study centered on three stages of the migration process: departure from Venezuela; the journey and transit to one of the destination countries; and the process of settling and integrating into host cities.
To discuss the research, CLACSO Radio consulted migration expert Gioconda Herrera from Ecuador, who coordinated the study.
From the Latin American Council of Social Sciences, Executive Secretary Karina Batthyány, Research Director Pablo Vommaro, and Teresa Arteaga, member of the Research Team and Working Groups, explain that “The publication is part of CLACSO’s institutional effort to understand and transform these realities.”
They maintain that “Contemporary migrations cross borders of various types, levels and scopes (psychological, cultural, demographic, economic, political, social and institutional), posing challenges that require deepening academic reflections, but above all promoting greater articulation between academia and the public and social management of migrations.
The document draws on testimonies that capture the narratives of children and adolescents, reflecting the harsh reality they face, always intersected by gender, ethnicity, class, and lifestyles, among other dimensions. The study identifies risk factors and the multiple forms of violence that many must confront along their journeys and in their daily lives, while also highlighting and identifying the weaknesses of the protection measures implemented by governments.
Addressing and creating protection mechanisms has recently become a key issue on the state and social agenda; therefore, it is urgent to implement actions to address the social, economic, and emotional needs of Venezuelan migrant children and adolescents, thus guaranteeing the fulfillment of their rights. However, this will only be possible through a four-pronged synergy between states, national and local governments, various social organizations working on issues of childhood, adolescence, and migration, international cooperation, and academia.
The research also produced a series of recommendations promoting a four-pronged approach among states, their national and local governments, the various social organizations working on issues related to children, adolescents, and migration in those countries, international cooperation agencies, and academia. These recommendations aim to guarantee the rights and improve the living conditions of migrant children and adolescents.
"Voices and experiences of Venezuelan migrant children and adolescents in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and PeruThis summary summarizes the study conducted by a group of researchers affiliated with the CLACSO network and supported by the Research Directorate. The team was organized by country. In Brazil, the team included Iréri Ceja Cárdenas, María Villarreal, Ángela Fonseca, and Luisina Avetta; in Colombia, Tania Correa Bohórquez and Liliana Fernández Price; in Ecuador, in addition to Gioconda Herrera, Lucía Pérez and Carmen Bolívar participated; and in Peru, Robin Cavagnoud and Alejandra Céspedes Ormachea. Regional coordination was handled by Gioconda Herrera, Soledad Álvarez, and Gabriela Cabezas.
DOWNLOAD THE DOCUMENT AT:
https://www.clacso.org/informe-voces-y-experiencias-de-la-ninez-y-adolescencia-venezolana-migrante-en-brasil-colombia-ecuador-y-peru/
Interview with Gioconda Herrera on Sputnik – Radio Cooperativa of Argentina – February 13, 2020
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