The vulnerabilities of Venezuelan immigrants in Brazil and Colombia from the perspective of Intervention Bioethics.
John Edinson Velásquez Vargas, Helena Eri Shimizu, Pedro Sadi Monteiro
PMID 37603878WHAT IT FOUND
Venezuelan immigrants in Brazil and Colombia described leaving due to hunger and lack of healthcare.
They faced language barriers and xenophobia when seeking jobs and care, though they found better access to food and medicine in host countries. Discrimination persisted in clinical and social settings.
Key findings
01Participants cited food insecurity and lack of medical supplies in Venezuela as primary drivers for migration.
02Language barriers and xenophobia hindered access to healthcare and employment in both host countries.
03Immigrants reported improved access to food and healthcare services in Brazil and Colombia compared to Venezuela.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used snowball sampling, which may not represent the broader immigrant population. Interviews were conducted online due to pandemic restrictions, which may have limited the depth of interaction or context observation. The sample size was small (35 participants) and limited to two specific cities, restricting generalizability to other regions or countries. Findings are self-reported and subject to recall bias regarding conditions in Venezuela.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by ethics committees in Brazil and Colombia.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that healthcare systems in Brazil or Colombia are free of discrimination. The study reports specific instances of language barriers and xenophobia experienced by patients, indicating that access to care, while improved compared to Venezuela, remains compromised by social and linguistic factors.