One gaze, two places: venezuelan migration experiences in Colombia and the United States

This qualitative study describes the experiences of Venezuelan migrants, from the perspective of the contexts of departure and reception, changes in family relationships and symptoms of depression. From qualitative information (open-ended questions from 647 surveys) and from four focus groups carried out in Bogota (Colombia) and Florida (USA), differences could be observed in the populations that migrate to each of the two countries. Results indicate that: the main drivers of migration are the economic deficiencies resulting from the political crisis experienced by Venezuela and, in some cases, the search for political asylum; parento-filial relationships change by representing a break in the bond between both parents and their children; and, opposite to theory, in Colombia migrants reported a more negative context of reception than in the United States.