Latin America Advisor

Richard Kiy, president & CEO of the Institute of the Americas: “Brazil has been among the countries in South America most affected by the influx of Venezuelan migrants, particularly in its northern states of Roraima and Amazonas. To counteract this flow of Venezuelan migrants, Brazil has implemented several measures to respond to these migration pressures, including setting up shelters and humanitarian assistance centers to provide temporary housing, food and medical care. Brazil has also worked to regularize the status of these Venezuelan migrants by allowing them to obtain temporary residence permits. That said, the large influx of migrants to Brazil’s northern states has put a strain on local resources. Hence, Brazil’s efforts to incentivize Venezuelan migrants to apply for work permits to its more prosperous southern states, including Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná and Santa Catarina, as part of its ‘interiorization program’ launched in 2018. To date, the program has…”