Security Environment and Migrant Experiences in the Venezuela-Colombia Borderlands

Abstract

The 2,219-kilometer porous border between Venezuela and Colombia has historically been a space of both illicit and legal commerce, drug cultivation and smuggling, and the presence of different state and non-state armed groups. As the sociopolitical context in Venezuela continues to worsen, more Venezuelans are forced to leave the country, and the largest Venezuelan migrant population resides in Colombia. The unique context of the Venezuela-Colombia border, characterized by a history of conflict, violence and displacement is now witnessing the entrance of a migrant and returnee population that has to navigate new local rules. With this research, I examine the impact of the border security environment on the experiences of migrants crossing the Colombia-Venezuela border through a vernacular security approach, which aims at studying how security is locally understood and experienced (Bubandt 2005). This exploratory research is an exercise in theory formation. I argue that the effect of the security environment on migrant experiences in border regions is highly dynamic and complex as the presence of armed groups may, paradoxically, provide some support to migrants, and as migrants are also shaping the border environment.