Migratory Flows Between Colombia and Venezuela Since 1950: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Migratory flows between Colombia and Venezuela have been continuous and bidirectional since 1950. Depending on the period under analysis, one can find migratory flows from Colombia to Venezuela, or vice versa. During the second half of the twentieth century, intense violence and lack of economic development caused a constant migratory flow from Colombia to Venezuela. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, this situation began to be reversed. Initially, an incipient migration to Colombia of Venezuelans with resources and high professional training occurred between 2000 and 2014. Subsequently, a massive migration flow of Venezuelans with fewer resources and limited professional training took place between 2015 and 2019, and especially between 2017 and 2019. This has been described as the largest migration wave in the recent history of Latin America. The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly halted this migration wave from March 2020 due to several socioeconomic and political factors that are analysed in the chapter.