Women are chronically underrepresented on Venezuela’s national political stage, both within Chavismo and the opposition. While women tend to be very politically active at the local level, comprising 72 percent of local community councils, they are often restricted to local and/or subordinate positions while men are appointed to senior offices.

While most of the 5 million Venezuelans who have left the country in recent years face serious challenges abroad, displaced women and girls are at a disproportionately high risk of violence and exploitation.

As most countries across the hemisphere prioritize national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, little attention has been paid to the needs of the world’s refugee and migrant populations. This is particularly true for the more than 5 million Venezuelans who have fled to neighboring countries since 2015, the majority of whom are without regular status in their host countries.

While each country has its own unique domestic challenges to consider, participating countries will need to develop a mutually agreed-upon set of minimum standards for long-term access to basic services, labor markets, and regular status if they are to properly address the needs of fleeing Venezuelans in compliance with the obligations of the Cartagena Declaration.