Diasporas' Political Rights and the Heterogeneous, Non-linear Unfolding of External Citizenship in Latin America

Abstract

In line with a global trend, Latin American countries have recently reached out to their citizens abroad. In several cases, this implied an innovation since emigration had been a relatively neglected area within public policies. Diasporas’ political rights have become the most visible indicator of whether political inclusion actually exists for this segment of society and one of the expressions of a form of citizenship that transcends borders. The timing and modality of franchise update or reform have varied across Latin American countries considerably. Outcomes are heterogeneous and in terms of expanding political participation and, more broadly, democratic practices, lagged behind expectations. Plausible explanations are to be found mostly in the intricacies of domestic politics in each country and, in some cases, the specific profile and role of the diaspora. For these reasons, this study argues that historically constructed notions of citizenship and belonging have shaped such policy innovation in Latin America. This chapter offers an account of when, why, and with what implications Latin American nation-states engaged with their diasporas’ political rights. Rather than pursuing generalisations, a small sample of cases is used to illustrate regional trends and variation across countries.