Venezuelan Children on the Move in Ecuador: Fragile Lives of Risk and Hope

Abstract

This chapter analyses the experience of young Venezuelan migrants to Ecuador over the past five years, in the context of significant economic slowdown, stricter migration policies, and increasingly xenophobic sentiments in the country. The chapter recounts the experience of Venezuelan children’s long journey along the Ecuadorian-Colombian border, as well as their settlement in two Ecuadorian cities: Quito and Guayaquil. We seek to explore the experiences of migrant children, beyond their representation as passive victims of difficult circumstances. We examine not only their unique vulnerability, but also their individual narratives and personal interpretations of their situation. The first section introduces general features of Venezuelan migration to Ecuador. Then, we present our findings, as these follow the migratory trajectory of children. We begin with children’s narratives about their lives in Venezuela prior to their migration, the decision to leave, and their relationships with relatives left behind. We then examine children’s perspectives of their travel and finally, we focus on their lives at the border and in the cities of Quito and Guayaquil.