Migração e violência em El Salvador: uma análise à luz dos Estudos para a Paz

Abstract

The migratory phenomenon, although not something new, remains one of the biggest and broadest research topics in the International Relations field. When migration occurs involuntarily, whether crossing national borders or not, it can result from different reasons. Among such reasons, armed social violence has been cited as responsible for the increase in migratory flows in Central America. Thus, by the lens of Peace and Conflict Studies, especially the concept of violence proposed by Galtung (1969; 1990), this work seeks to understand the relationship between violence and migration through the study of the case of El Salvador. The initial hypothesis is that the increase in migratory flows in and from El Salvador is related to the violence in the country. Using a review of the literature on the issue, we initially seek to define the main fundamental concepts for this study. Then, having bibliographic research as the method, an analysis of the violence in El Salvador from a historical perspective is proposed. Finally, this work analyzes how violence has been driving migration within and from the country, using as main references reports elaborated by international organizations that deal with the issue. We conclude that violence in its direct and indirect forms has been motivating the Salvadoran population to abandon their homes and that, even though there are regional and global initiatives in the governance of international migration, individuals who involuntarily migrate fleeing violence have their rights to protection dependent on the interests of States.