ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the responses that Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have implemented to address the Venezuelan exodus—the largest human displacement in modern Latin American history—and identifies prevailing patterns and trends. It adopts a qualitative methodological design, based on an analysis of the literature produced on this subject combined with a review of the various national measures taken across the region, in particular since 2015. The responses of LAC countries to this displacement have been varied, oscillating between closure and openness. Nonetheless, the chapter shows how practically all countries in the region have implemented some specific policies for Venezuelan migrants, including measures that benefit them. This does not necessarily imply a convergence toward openness, or a generalized belief in the benefits of migration that favors empathetic measures based on respect for national and international normative commitments. In fact, the chapter concludes that despite the adoption of more open policies in some cases, countries across the region have also adopted several restrictive policies, even simultaneously.
