Foreign or Domestic Affairs? Unpacking Mechanisms Behind Colombia and Peru's Policies on Venezuelan Displacement

Abstract

While forced displacement policies are shaped by both international and domestic considerations, little is known about how states navigate conflicting pressures when adopting liberal or restrictive approaches. This article addresses this gap by examining the divergent responses of the two largest recipients of Venezuelan displaced people: Peru under Martín Vizcarra (2018–2020) and Colombia under Iván Duque (2018–2022). Although both Peru and Colombia are middle-income countries with significant emigration and share growing public resentment toward migrants and strained relations with Nicolás Maduro's regime, they pursued opposite policies. In 2019, Peru imposed a visa requirement for Venezuelan migrants, restricting access, whereas in 2021 Colombia created the Temporary Protection Status, allowing for regularization and a path to residency. Using 65 interviews with policymakers and experts, over 200 statements by public officials, and secondary literature, this study identifies the mechanisms behind these contradictory policies. It argues that whether forced displacement is perceived by executive actors as a foreign or domestic issue shapes the nature of policy in countries that would otherwise be expected to respond similarly. These perceptions are ultimately explained by executives’ need for self-preservation and self-legitimation within strategic political contexts. Four key factors—importance given to Venezuela, international reputation, executive strength, and, to a lesser extent, bureaucratic frameworks—determine whether foreign or domestic logics prevail. By showing how Latin American responses integrate both logics rather than fitting neatly into Global North/South binaries, this study challenges dominant dichotomies in migration scholarship.