Displaced Venezuelans and the Politics of Asylum: The case of Brazil’s Group Recognition Policy

Latin America is often referred to as a particularly successful case in refugee protection where, through the 1984 Cartagena Declaration, States have established a tradition of openness, solidarity, and humanitarism. Nevertheless, in practice, the instrument has been unevenly implemented in the region. This has posed consequences to the protection of displaced Venezuelans, who are now the second largest displaced population in the world and often live with precarious statuses. Applying process tracing as a methodology, this paper analyses the case of Brazil, one of the few countries granting asylum to this population, and identifies the drivers which influenced its response.Habitualmente se hace referencia a América Latina como un caso particularmente exitoso en la protección de refugiados donde, a través de la Declaración de Cartagena de 1984, los Estados han establecido una tradición de apertura, solidaridad y humanitarismo. Sin embargo, en la práctica, el instrumento se ha implementado de manera desigual en la región. Esto ha tenido consecuencias para la protección de los venezolanos desplazados,que ahora son la segunda población desplazada más grande del mundo y, a menudo, viven con un estatus migratorio precario. Aplicando process tracing como metodología, este trabajo analiza el caso de Brasil, uno de los pocos países que reconoce venezolanoscomo refugiados, e identifica los factores que influyeron en su respuesta.Latin America is often referred to as a particularly successful case in refugee protection where, through the 1984 Cartagena Declaration, states have established a tradition of openness, solidarity, and humanitarianism. Nevertheless, in practice, the instrument has been unevenly implemented in the region. This has posed consequences to the protection of displaced Venezuelans, who are now the second largest displaced population in the world and often live with precarious statuses. Applying process tracing as a methodology, this article analyses the case of Brazil, one of the few countries granting asylum to this population, and identifies the drivers which influenced its response