A América Latina, a Covid-19 E as Migrações Forçadas: Perspectivas Em Movimentos, Muros Epidemiológicos E Sombrias Imagens

Abstract

RESUMO A América Latina tornou-se, em junho de 2020, um dos epicentros da pandemia. Embora concentremos aproximadamente 8% da população mundial, temos em torno de 20% dos casos e 30% das mortes causadas pela COVID-19. Um dos graves problemas enfrentados pelas populações latino-americanas são as migrações forçadas, que, assim como tudo o que diz respeito às populações vulneráveis, incrementou-se na pandemia. Os casos da América Central e do México, país considerado um dos maiores corredores humanos do mundo, alcançaram níveis impensáveis de violações de direitos humanos. Discutiremos neste artigo os efeitos políticos e socioeconômicos da pandemia decorrente do coronavírus da síndrome respiratória aguda grave 2 ([SARS-CoV-2], causador da COVID-19) na América Latina. Igualmente, apresentaremos, por meio da imprensa e dos relatórios de organizações civis, como, em plena pandemia, acentuaram-se a criminalização e a culpabilização dos migrantes nos discursos dos órgãos governamentais estadunidenses.

COVID-19 and Protracted Displacement: a Scoping Review of Migration Policies in Mexico and Central America

“…The accumulation of migrants from Central America and the presence of COVID-19 has increased xenophobia among Mexicans, resulting in many migrants facing discrimination and altering their accents to mimic local Mexican accents (Torre-Cantalapiedra, 2021 ; Barajas et al, 2021 ). Araujo and Sarmiento ( 2021 ) described that the entry of irregular migrants and mostly Guatemalan immigrants were violently blocked by armed forces at the Southern Mexican border. In addition, Villamar ( 2021 ) describes thousands of Central American migrants deported from southern Mexico, but many were unable to return home due to border closures (Villamar, 2021 ).…”

“…Irregular migrants attempting to cross the US-Mexico border were captured and placed in one of the 137 detention centers (DCs) present in these two countries (Araujo & Sarmiento, 2021 ). DCs are informally referred to as “hieleras” (ice boxes), “metal cages” or “perreras” (dog kennels), reflecting their incarcerated character (Bonfiglio et al, 2020 ; Garrett, 2020 ).…”

“…Due to isolation, solitary confinement, violence, and overcrowded living conditions in DCs, pre-existing mental disorders worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic (Araujo & Sarmiento, 2021 ). Detainees that experienced kidnapping or detention before arriving at the DCs felt specifically anxious and unsafe in the living conditions that arose during the lockdown (Bojórquez et al, 2021a ).…”

Graffiti, Migrant Women, Intersectionality: Artistic Experiences in Portugal

“…Oppressions have their origins and continuity in societies of the global economy, with their triple dimension "power, knowledge and being [13]", which promotes processes of social exclusion of men and women, reaching gigantic proportions [14]. These oppressions become more profound in the midst of migration, which presents itself in a constant and non-linear historical movement, with varied characteristics and origins.…”