Without good reception, visa from Mexico to citizens of three South American countries

Arturo Sanchez Jimenez

Newspaper La Jornada
Sunday, January 23, 2022, p. 8

Mexico’s decision to request visas from Brazilians, Ecuadorians and Venezuelans with the aim of curbing irregular migration has not been well received in their respective countries, where it is recognized that in recent years a high proportion of travelers had no intention of returning to South America, but to reach the United States.

This entry requirement was imposed on Brazilian travelers last November. Immediately, the government of Jair Bolsonaro assured that it respects Mexican sovereignty, but warned that it was studying the application of reciprocity measures.

He also stated that the provision would be transitory and of short duration, as well as that it would contribute to reducing the number of inadmissions.

In December, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of that country published a guide for its citizens that warns that irregular migration through Mexico to the United States entails enormous dangers including humiliation, violence or even tragic loss of life. Many, he acknowledges, have been trying to enter the United States, especially through the land border with Mexico.

Meanwhile, the migratory flow recorded by the Ministry of the Government of Ecuador is an x-ray of how the outflow of travelers to Mexico has grown. In 2017, 39 thousand 956 were transferred; in 2019, 119,280, and of the 22,218 in July 2021, only 6,564 returned to their country.

According to the Ecuadorian organization 1800migrante, last year 97 thousand 74 of their compatriots were detained, expelled or deported from the United States. The figure is eight times higher than that registered in 2020, when there were 12,892.

Mexico announced the restoration of the visa for Ecuadorians last August, which had been suspended since 2018. That same month, Presidents Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Guillermo Lasso, of Ecuador, held a meeting in which the creation of a group of work to seek to have the requirement suspended again.

In the case of Venezuela, Mexico decided to apply the same measure at the beginning of January. It entered into force last Friday and, according to the media in that country, the requirement has caused uncertainty for those who had bought plane tickets before the provision.

Venezuelans who intend to travel to Mexico must prove that they have income equivalent to 843 dollars per month, according to reports. Another option to prove that they can afford their stay is to show that they have a minimum amount equivalent to 2,530 dollars in bank accounts or investments.