Colombian Border Research Articles

In someone else’s shoes: Reducing prejudice through perspective taking

This study investigates the effectiveness of online, low-cost, scalable interventions aimed at reducing prejudice against an out-group through the use of perspective taking. We conducted an online experiment in which Colombian natives were randomly assigned to either watch a video documentary about Venezuelan forced migrants crossing the Colombian border on foot or to play an online game that immersed them in the life of a Venezuelan forced migrant. Compared to a control group, both treatments led to increased altruism toward Venezuelans and improved attitudes toward forced migrants. However, only the game significantly boosted self-reported trust. In terms of effectiveness per minute of treatment, the video was at least four times more efficient than the game in enhancing prosociality. Given the video’s comparably shorter duration, greater ease of dissemination, and lower demand for active involvement, it appears a superior option to enhance prosocial behaviors in the short term.

Afro-Ecuadorian Women, Territory and Natural Resource Extraction in Esmeraldas, Ecuador

Afro-descendant women in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, are amongst the most marginalized groups in the country. Living in a region severely affected by environmental degradation due to multiple and overlapping forms of resource extraction, they also face the impacts of drug-trafficking conflicts crossing the Colombian border, as well as institutional and everyday racism. Many of these conditions are rooted in a long history of colonialism. In this article, we highlight the relative absence of Afro-Ecuadorian women’s voices, histories and experiences from research on resource extraction and argue that Black feminist theoretical approaches provide an essential tool for understanding intersections of gender, race and activism, as well as (alternatives to) development, and the impacts of natural resource extraction in Ecuador. In so doing, the article proposes a theoretical framework to open up spaces that situate Afro-Ecuadorian women’s knowledge at the centre of efforts to resist marginalization and extractivism.

Development of a diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel for identifying geographic origins of Cochliomyia hominivorax, the New World screwworm

The New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax, causes myiasis in livestock, humans, and other warm-blooded animals in much of South America and the Caribbean. It has been eradicated from North and Central America using the sterile insect technique and a biological barrier is currently maintained at the Panama - Colombian border. However, C. hominivorax is still a threat to eradicated areas as outbreaks can and do occur. In order to identify the origin of a fly involved in an outbreak scenario, diagnostic tools would be beneficial. Recently, the geographic population structure of this species was identified using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Here we characterize the three major regional clusters: South America, the Inner Caribbean, and the Outer Caribbean. The objective of this study was to develop a SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) panel to distinguish between these three clusters. A panel was developed using two unique SNPs per region for a total of six SNPs. This diagnostic SNP assay will allow for rapid source determination of flies from future incursions in order to intercept introductory pathways and aid in the control of New World screwworm.

Approaching Venezuelan Migration from the Borderland: Dynamics and Identity in La Guajira, Colombia

Abstract Based on an ethnography in the Colombian border state of La Guajira, this article argues that ethnographic research can challenge defaults to methodological nationalism, stark binaries be-tween host and migrant communities, and a framing of Venezuelan migration that flattens the complex realities of individuals in these borderlands who have extensive ties between both Colombia and Venezuela. This article begins by characterizing this border region, describing the relevant history of La Guajira and contemporary dynamics that help situate this specific Venezuelan migration flow. After, I describe the complex identities that form in these borderlands and what exactly “Venezuelan” looks like in this state. Lastly, building on the characterization of the borderland and Venezuelan identity in La Guajira, I offer two examples of how these pieces come together to facilitate certain social interactions and explain migrant experiences.

Geographic Population Genetic Structure of the New World Screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Using SNPs.

The New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel 1858) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), is a serious parasite of livestock, humans, and other warm-blooded animals. It has been eradicated from the northern parts of its historical range down to the Panama-Colombian border where a permanent barrier zone is maintained. This eradication was accomplished through using the sterile insect technique (SIT). In 2016 there was an outbreak of C. hominivorax in the Florida Keys. In only six months, this pest was successfully re-eradicated using SIT, but the geographic origin of the invasion has yet to be resolved. It was previously determined that the Florida flies most likely represented a single invasion, and it was recommended that a finer-scale genetic assessment should be completed. Thus, this current proof-of-concept study aimed to develop a population genetic database using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to reference outbreaks and potentially identify the origin of the Florida outbreak. This initial database consists of wild-caught samples from 4 geographic locations as well as laboratory colony samples that originated from 7 additional locations using a genotyping by sequencing (GBS) approach. Geographic population structuring was identified for twelve populations that clustered according to geographic location. The Florida outbreak samples appeared similar to samples from the outer Caribbean cluster which included samples from Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago, however, these results will be further clarified with the replacement of laboratory colony samples with future wild-caught samples.

Human Mobility and Health: Exploring the Health Conditions of Venezuelan Migrants and Refugees in Colombia

Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) conducted a study to identify health needs and access barriers of Venezuelan migrants and refugees at La Guajira and Norte de Santander Colombian border states. The Migration History tool was used to gather information that included various health-related issues such as referred morbidity, exposure to violence, mental health, and access to health care services. A group migration profile with long-term permanence plans was identified. Was evidenced an important share of young population (50% under 20), indigenous people (20%), and returnees (11%). The respondents referred to a mixed pattern of chronic and acute diseases, for which the main difficulty was accessing diagnosis and continuous treatment. Health-seeking behavior was identified as the main barrier to access health care services. The article compiles main findings on the Venezuelan migrants and refugees' health conditions, contributing important evidence for the humanitarian responses in migration contexts.

Seguridad alimentaria, Covid-19 y crisis: una aplicación del modelo de regresión logística binomial para su estudio

<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>La pandemia por Covid-19 ha generado impactos de serias consecuencias, y si bien en el caso venezolano resultan agravantes, es especialmente importante en el ámbito de la seguridad alimentaria. La investigación descriptiva cuantitativa tuvo por objetivo estudiar la percepción e identificación de indicadores sobre el estado de seguridad alimentaria venezolana, aportando conocimiento para definir o reorientar las políticas públicas dirigidas a las personas más vulnerables. Se aplicaron 507 encuestas a personas residentes en el municipio Fernández Feo, estado Táchira, próximo a la frontera con Colombia. El modelo de análisis empleado fue el de Regresión Logística Binaria, con SPSS</span><span>®</span><span>, identificándose nueve hallazgos, explicativos y predictivos, que determinaron la presencia o </span>ausencia de determinadas características en los programas sociales de alimentación del Estado venezolano, así como grupos con mayor o menos posibilidades de acceso a tales programas. Se concluyó —dejando nuevas perspectivas para investigaciones más específicas— cómo una emergencia sanitaria por pandemia incide exponencialmente en la demanda de grupos poblacionales de escasos recursos económicos, de ayudas sociales, de carácter público o privado, para satisfacer, en lo posible, sus necesidades vitales de alimentación.</p></div></div></div>

Range extension of Thomasomys princeps (Thomas, 1895) (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) and first record in Venezuela

Thomasomys princeps (Thomas, 1895) is a large, sigmodontine rat and a member of the “aureus” group of the highly diverse genus Thomasomys. This species is only known from the Cordillera Oriental, Colombia; however, based on a recent examination of specimens of Thomasomys from Venezuela, I report the first record of T. princeps from Venezuela, in the Páramo del Tamá near the Colombian border. This record extends the distributional range of the species by 360 km northeast, representing the northernmost record of the species and of the “aureus” group.

Combating Malnutrition Among Pregnant Women, Mothers and Babies in the Rural Amazonian Forest: What can Telehealth Do?

Purpose: Malnutrition is a current public health problem and a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality among the indigenous population in the Amazon forest. This may be related to the nutritional transition observed among indigenous women in Brazil. This research aims to empower health professionals to promote food and nutritional education for mothers and babies living in the forest of the Brazilian state of Amazonas and its Colombian border. We describe our experience using telehealth to combat malnutrition among pregnant women, mothers and babies in the rural Amazonian forest. Methods: This is a qualitative study that included three interventions: field visits, a scoping review, and online meetings. Data collect from field visits and the scoping review were used to identify demands and incorporate themes discussed in the virtual meetings held at telehealth units. Sessions used the web conferencing platform of the state of Amazonas and were facilitated by Brazilian specialists. Locations were selected according to existence of telehealth site. Results and Conclusions: Seven telehealth sessions were held between April and December in 2018 and three in 2019, including 14 different locations equipped with telehealth points, and lasted 120 minutes each. The main findings were that telehealth services can be an instrument to establish a knowledge exchange between health professionals and indigenous people. The participation of indigenous people in social media could be an instrument to maintain their culture and to promote their healthcare, especially traditional and healthy dietary patterns.

Equality in the Home and in the Community: a Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence on the Ecuadorian-Colombian Border

Intimate partner violence (IPV) effects over a third of Latin American women and results in significant health, economic and social consequences. While theory suggests that increasing the status of women, in their homes and neighborhoods, should prevent IPV, little empirical work has tested this in South America, in particular examining neighborhood-level indicators. We conduct multilevel analysis to identify predictors of recent emotional and physical and/or sexual IPV within a longitudinal sample of 1312 low-income women living in northern Ecuador, near the Colombian border. Status indicators, measured at the household and neighborhood-level, included women’s asset ownership, intra-household decision making, labor force participation, and education, age, and salary relative to male partner. Females’ increasing participation in household decision-making (between time 1 and time 2) was associated with decreased risk of physical and/or sexual (AOR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.78) and emotional IPV (AOR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.30, 1.06), although the latter was marginally significant. Increases in neighborhood-level decision-making was protective against emotional IPV (AOR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.99). Women with lower education than their partners were significantly more likely to experience IPV than women with the same or more education as their partner. Indicators of economic status of women were not associated with IPV outcomes in the expected directions. Findings support policies and interventions seeking to raise the status of women as a mechanism to reduce IPV. Future research can explore economic empowerment and IPV, as well as the interaction between household and neighborhood-level factors.

DERECHOS HUMANOS FUNDAMENTALES DE PERSONAS RESIDENTES EN LA ZONA DE FRONTERA EJE DEPARTAMENTO DE LA GUAJIRA – ESTADO ZULIA

Expresan las Constituciones políticas estatales y los documentos derivados de la suscripción a la normativa internacional, que los Estados tienen el deber de proteger los derechos de los ciudadanos que viven en las fronteras. Así debe acontecer en el eje conformado por el Departamento de la Guajira y el Estado Zulia. No obstante, los esfuerzos hasta ahora realizados, fundamentados en disposiciones constitucionales, legales y reglamentarias, y las políticas públicas que pudieran operativizar tales derechos, no cubren las necesidades y expectativas existentes, por lo cual los ciudadanos permanecen como una población vulnerable. De allí que el propósito de este artículo es analizar la situación de vulneración de los derechos humanos de las personas en la frontera venezolana y colombiana, tornándose la situación doblemente sensible, por ser una zona que alberga minorías étnicas. El estudio se realiza bajo una metódica basada en el paradigma cualitativo, con enfoque post positivista, realizando una investigación tipificada como documental bibliográfico, con datos e informaciones analizadas desde una interpretación sociocrítica y en atención a la experiencia y conocimiento del investigador. Se concluye claramente que la política de Estado en ambos países no atiende adecuadamente esta condicionante sociocultural, generándose los espacios para la transgresión de derechos individuales, sociales y colectivos.

Representaciones de los migrantes venezolanos en los diarios fronterizos colombianos

Este informe de investigación describe las representaciones mediáticas que se construyen sobre los migrantes venezolanos en dos diarios regionales fronterizos colombianos: La Opinión, en Norte de Santander, y La Guajira, en el departamento que lleva el mismo nombre. Migración Colombia anuncia en sus estudios que, en 2017, uno de los años de mayor éxodo de venezolanos a Colombia, se reportaron 37 mil entradas diarias de ciudadanos venezolanos al país. Los pasos fronterizos en los que se registra alto ingreso de personas documentadas y no documentadas, son los que se ubican en los departamentos mencionados. Por lo tanto, es importante preguntarse, a partir de la Teoría de las Representaciones Sociales, y particularmente desde la Teoría de la Producción Social de la Comunicación, cómo desde los relatos periodísticos de frontera se construye la imagen de los migrantes.

Determinantes sociales de la mortalidad infantil en municipios de frontera en Colombia, 2005-2011

Introducción. En Colombia, las tasas de mortalidad infantil de los municipios fronterizos presentan diferencias significativas en comparación con el promedio nacional, por lo que resulta prioritario identificar sus determinantes en estas zonas, con el fin de orientar el desarrollo de políticas en salud pública.Objetivo. Identificar algunos determinantes sociales de la mortalidad infantil en municipios fronterizos de Colombia en el periodo 2005-2011.Materiales y métodos. Estudio ecológico en el que se construyeron tres modelos de regresión para las siguientes categorías: 1) determinantes estructurales; 2) determinantes intermedios de condiciones de vida y trabajo, factores de tipo comportamental y biológico, y factores psicosociales, y 3) determinantes intermedios del sistema de salud colombiano.Resultados. Los datos encontrados sugieren que la mortalidad infantil de los municipios fronterizos se relaciona con condiciones de etnia, raza, educación, índice de dependencia infantil, bajo peso al nacer, calidad del agua, ruralidad, jefatura femenina del hogar, cobertura de vacunación, cobertura de control prenatal, satisfacción con los servicios de salud y afiliación al sistema de salud.Conclusiones. La mayoría de determinantes de la mortalidad infantil en estos municipios se sale del alcance del sector salud; por tanto, el Estado enfrenta dos desafíos importantes: implementar un abordaje transectorial y transfronterizo, y dar una respuesta institucional con un enfoque de equidad en salud que se adapte a las necesidades y a la cultura de cada municipio y región.

Covid-19 in Colombia's Borderlands and the Western Hemisphere: Adding Instability to a Double Crisis

In Colombia's borderlands, the Covid-19 pandemic adds a third dimension to the double crisis of continued insecurity rooted in Colombia's ongoing armed conflict and the humanitarian emergency triggered by Venezuelan mass migration. Exacerbated through the border effect, the Colombian government's border closure and armed groups seeking to capitalize on growing uncertainty pose a severe risk to the country's peace agreement, regional stability, and hemispheric security.

Inmigrantes venezolanos en el contexto ecuatoriano: análisis de las relaciones interculturales

En la actualidad, Ecuador recibe inmigrantes de varios continentes. Refiriéndose a la nacionalidad venezolana, a principios de 2018 aproximadamente 547.000 venezolanos ingresaron a Ecuador a través de la frontera colombiana, eso equivale un promedio diario de entre 2.700 y 3.000 hombres, mujeres y niños. Con posturas a favor y en contra, los venezolanos han enfrentado en el territorio ecuatoriano disimiles dificultades para su integración social, por lo que el objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar las relaciones interculturales de los inmigrantes venezolanos en Ecuador. El enfoque de la investigación fue cuantitativo y se escogió el cuestionario “Relaciones Interculturales en Sociedades Plurales” (versión: grupo ecuatoriano) que se encuentra en el sitio oficial Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research. Participaron 190 venezolanos en la investigación que residen en la ciudad de Quito y Guayaquil. Los resultados evidenciaron que los mayores problemas están vinculados a actos de discriminación social percibida y lo vinculado con su seguridad. La competencia sociocultural que indagó sobre la actitud de ellos para integrase mostró valores significativos de interés y disposición de ellos para formar parte de la sociedad ecuatoriana.

Venezuelan Migration and the Border Health Crisis in Colombia and Brazil

Executive Summary Venezuela’s economic crisis has triggered mass migration; more than 3.4 million Venezuelans have fled to other countries in the region and beyond. An assessment mission to Cúcuta, in the Colombian border state of North Santander, was undertaken from July 26 to August 1, 2018, and to Bôa Vista and Pacaraima, in the state of Roraima, Brazil, between August 24 and 28, 2018. Interviews were conducted with key informants, including health providers and organizations engaged in the humanitarian response. Secondary analysis of gray literature and data shared by key informants was also undertaken. Surveillance data demonstrate increases in infectious diseases, as well as adverse maternal and neonatal health outcomes, among Venezuelans in North Santander and Roraima. Summary of Findings for North Santander Reportable public health surveillance events among Venezuelans increased from 182 in 2015 to 865 in the first half of 2018. In 2018, the most common reported events included gender-based and intrafamiliar violence (17 percent), malaria (15 percent), and acute malnutrition in children <5 years (9 percent). There were 14 measles cases reported between January and June 2018 (compared to none in the previous years), the majority associated with migration from Venezuela. Thirty-six cases of maternal morbidity and two cases of maternal mortality among Venezuelans were observed in the first half of 2018 (compared to three cases of maternal morbidity and no maternal deaths in 2015). Low-birth-weight Venezuelan births rose from three in 2015 to 34 in 2017. Between January 2017 and June 2018, emergency medical attention was provided to 19,108 Venezuelans in government health facilities. Summary of Findings for Roraima In 2018, there were 355 cases of measles in Roraima (compared to none in previous years) — all cases had the genotype lineage originating in the 2017 Venezuelan measles outbreak. Children younger than one year old (812.1/100,000) had the highest measles incident rate in Roraima, followed by children 1–4 years old (245.7/100,000). Malaria cases among Venezuelans increased 3.5-fold from 2015 to 2018 (1,260 vs. 4,402 cases). As of August 2018, 171 HIV-infected Venezuelans were receiving HIV care at the Coronel Motta Clinic in Bôa Vista, Roraima. In 2018, 1,603 Venezuelan women gave birth at the Hospital Materno-Infantil in Bôa Vista, and by mid-2018, 10,040 Venezuelans had received outpatient care and 666 had been hospitalized at the Hospital General Roraima. In Colombia, primary healthcare is not available to Venezuelans, and provision of emergency care is perceived as unsustainable given current funding mechanisms. In Brazil, primary care is available to Venezuelans, but the healthcare system is under severe strain to meet the increased demand for care and is facing unprecedented shortages in medications and supplies. There is an urgent need to expand the humanitarian health response in Colombia and Brazil, both to ensure health among Venezuelans and to protect public health in border areas.

Violent non-State Actors and New Forms of Governance: Exploring the Colombian and Venezuelan Border Zone

This article explores the causes underlying a strong presence of violent non-state actors (VNSAs) in South America. Based on a case study of the border area between Colombia and Venezuela, the research relies on a broad empirical data collected from newspapers, official documents and interviews. The analytical perspective has been grounded on a theoretical framework of four dimensions: (i) funding and illegal activities, (ii) presence in strategic regions, (iii) low state presence and (iv) violence, which identifies different forms of presence of VNSAs. When questioned about how VNSAs create new forms of alternative governance in a territorial space of fragile statehood, the results tend to reveal a context in which state governance seems to overlap the alternative and illegal governance of VNSAs, creating a fragile and hybrid governance in the region.

Drivers of forest cover changes in the Chocó‐Darien Global Ecoregion of South America

AbstractTropical rain forests are suffering the highest deforestation and reforestation ever recorded. Interactions between direct (proximate or direct causes) and indirect (underling or indirect causes) drivers could cluster these forest cover changes forming hotspots (areas that exhibit significant spatial correlation of deforestation or reforestation transitions). Using land use–land cover maps and global (I) and local (Ii) Moran's tests, we identified these hotspots in the Chocó‐Darien Global Ecoregion (CGE) of South America, a natural region that was declared one of the top 25 hotspots for conservation priorities in the world. Subsequently, we tested and studied the effects and interactions between deforestation and reforestation hotspots and their direct and indirect drivers using Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling (Bayesian SEM). We found that deforestation and reforestation were spatially auto‐correlated forming hotspots (I = 0.49, P = 0.001 for deforestation transitions and I = 0.48, P = 0.001 for reforestation transitions). Also, hotspots of deforestation and reforestation were auto‐correlated within municipality borders (I = 0.5, P = 0.001 for deforestation transitions; I = 0.49, P = 0.001 for reforestation transitions). Eighteen municipalities located on the border between Colombia and Ecuador showed significant aggregations of deforestation hotspots, while thirty‐four municipalities in three areas of Colombia and the area between the Colombian and Ecuadorian border showed significant clustering of reforestation hotspots. Eleven of these municipalities presented significant clustering of both reforestation and deforestation hotspots. The Bayesian SEM for deforestation showed that population growth and road density were indirect drivers of deforestation hotspots (0.191 and 0.127 standard deviation units). The Bayesian SEM for reforestation found that armed conflicts, Gross Domestic Product, and average annual rain were indirect drivers related to reforestation hotspots (0.228, 0.076, and 0.081 standard deviation units, respectively). Our assessment shows a novel methodology to study interactions among direct and indirect drivers of forest change and their potential dissimilar effects on forest transitions.

Estado, conflictos ambientales y violencia en la frontera Amazónica de Brasil, Colombia y Perú

The Amazonian border region of Brazil, Colombia and Peru has been place or stage to extraction, trade and transport of a wide variety of forest and aquatic resources, including those associated with activities considered illegal like drug or some types of mining. Aditionally the borders have also been converted in areas of conflict, violence and insecurity, and these, at the same time, are produced and exacerbated by state and institutional weakness of the three states, trying substitute it increasing the military presence, with little and contested results, on the one hand, by different public policies or the existence of rules and laws also different and incompatible. In a historical and current perspective, the article shows the relationship between the state, extractive economies of natural resources and conflict in the brazilian, colombian and peruvian amazon border, taking into account the limitations and possibilities of agreements recently signed between the government Colombian Juan Manuel Santos and FARC guerrillas.

Peacebuilding Among Transnational Youth in Migrant-Receiving Border Regions of Ecuador

This article explores the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of peacebuilding initiatives in border regions where refugees and citizens coexist and sometimes come into conflict. It does so by comparing two programmes seeking to build conflict resolution capacity among youth in Ecuador near the Colombian border. The initiatives were funded by the same donor and took place in the same region. Their programme design differed, however, and one was more successful than the other in institutionalising positive and sustainable subsystem-level changes. Using John Paul Lederach's framework for building peace as a theoretical point of departure, the article argues for the importance of embedding peacebuilding processes within a network of existing local institutions, sequencing multiple projects that align with a long-range strategic plan targeting subsystem change, and creating inclusive spaces for participation by migrants and citizens.