Searching for the ‘Chilean Oasis’: Waiting and Uncertainty in the Migration Trajectories of Venezuelan Women

Abstract

Venezuelans escaping from the crisis in their country count currently among the largest displaced populations in the world. Chile seems to offer them an oasis of political and economic stability. This ethnographic study explores the migrant trajectories of Venezuelan women. We disentangle their migration process, including destination imaginaries, the journey, and their life in Chile. We discuss how uncertainty is permanent in their trajectories and how the imagined oasis turns out to be just a mirage. The women end up waiting, perhaps perennially, to be able to return home. Meanwhile, they develop strategies to survive in an oasis without water.

Keywords:

• Venezuelan migration
• female migration
• trajectories
• uncertainty
• Chile

Disclosure statement

There are not potential competing interests reported by the authors.

Funding

This work was supported by the Research and Development National Agency (ANID – Chile) under grant FONDECYT Postdoctoral N° 3190271.

Ethical approvement

This research has been approved by the Ethical Committee for Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile N° 181012008.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 While Latin America refers to countries with Romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and French), Central and South America is a geographical concept that divides de countries of the Caribbean, which are included in Central America, and the nations south of Panama called South America. Latin American countries are thus included within Central and South America.

2 See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiJEgFn29Vs&ab_channel=T13 and https://cooperativa.cl/noticias/pais/region-de-tarapaca/la-realidad-de-los-migrantes-venezolanos-varados-en-huara/2020-11-03/130200.html

3 Valparaiso is located 115 km west of Chile’s capital, Santiago. It is the country’s second largest region in terms of population (almost 1 million inhabitants in 2017). Valparaiso is also the second region in Chile in terms of migrant population.

4 As their trajectories are in permanent motion, some of the women involved in this study live in other Chilean cities today, and one of them returned to Venezuela.

5 The reform was changed on 22 June 2019. In the period between April 2018 and June 2019, Venezuelan citizens could apply for a special visa upon entering the country. As of June 2019, applications had to be made in advance at a Chilean Consulate.

6 https://venezolanoenchile.com/guia/ and

http://www.decapack.com/es/los-5-mejores-paises-de-latinoamerica-para-migrar-y-mudarse/

7 https://padondenosvamos.com/como-vivir-en-chile/?amp#

8 https://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/sociedad/salud/coronavirus/casi-400-venezolanos-sin-techo-cumplen-mas-de-dos-semanas-acampando/2020-05-18/033823.html