What is happening in Latin America?: 5 trends that should concern us
A Venezuelan family sought refuge in Ecuador after being forced to leave their country, where they still face challenges integrating, including xenophobia.
Photo credits: Santiago Arcos / ProLAC
Timestamp: 21 May 2026
Locations: Americas
Topics: Protection, Conflict
Between July and December 2025, the ProLAC Initiative monitored protection conditions in eleven Latin American countries, documenting a deterioration across different national contexts.
Violence, territorial control by armed actors, and changes in migration policies are affecting refugees, migrants, internally displaced people, and communities already living under high levels of insecurity.
These are the five most worrying trends:
1. Forced displacement continues to grow and is linked to violence and organized crime
Internal displacement remains one of the most widespread risks: 18% of the people interviewed were internally displaced, and 35% lived in contexts of violence or conflict.
“It’s that nobody stays. Those who decide to stay must live under the regime of these people who charge ‘vacunas’ [extortion]. Those who leave, because they can no longer pay, suffer death threats.”
— key informant, Ecuador
In several countries such as Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, and Guatemala, families flee due to direct threats, extortion, movement restrictions, forced recruitment of young people, land dispossession, and clashes between armed groups. Although there are community support networks, they are insufficient given the scale of risk and the lack of adequate state protection.
2. Attacks against civilians and targeted violence are increasing
One of the most worrying trends is the increase in direct attacks against civilians. 7% of internally displaced or violence-affected people reported bomb attacks, assaults, or killings—something not recorded in previous reports.
These events usually occur in areas where different groups, including criminal organizations and non-state armed groups, seek to control territory and illicit economies. Victims include people who cannot pay extortion, young people who refuse recruitment, and community leaders.
“Most people have been displaced due to threats, extortion, or because they had to close their businesses. It is all a fight between gangs trying to take over the territory, and we are caught in the middle. The bombs sound as if they explode right outside the houses. It is already part of everyday life.”
— key informant, Ecuador
3. Theft and extortion affect refugees and migrants in transit and at destination
A quarter of the population interviewed reported theft and/or extortion. Among those in transit, the risk was almost double (46%), especially in Peru and border areas of Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador. Beyond financial losses, theft and extortion are often accompanied by kidnappings, intimidation, and gender-based violence, significantly increasing vulnerability during migration.
“Entering Mexico from the Guatemala border, one suffers extortion again. Out of fear and necessity to continue, we accepted, but further ahead others were waiting for us.”
— key informant in Mexico
4. Barriers to asylum are becoming stricter
Almost half (47%) of refugee or migrant households in destination countries reported needing international protection but face increasing obstacles to applying for asylum: lack of information about procedures (41%), long delays (as in Mexico), stricter laws (as in Ecuador and Chile), and deportation or return practices, even for people who have already started the process.
These barriers increase the risk of being returned to countries where their lives could be in danger.
“Police at the border are the main obstacle, as well as public officials, particularly regarding access to asylum and information. The asylum issue is also lost because military personnel are not trained in asylum matters…”
— key informant, Chile
5. Discrimination hinders access to basic rights
Discrimination is the third most reported threat. In Ecuador, Brazil, and Chile, between 50% and 64% of those who experienced abuse said they faced discrimination.
“If guards saw the possibility of getting money from the person, they would do it… There is also rejection from health personnel when treating migrants; they don’t like doing it.”
— key informant in Mexico
Beyond xenophobic treatment, discrimination translates into barriers to housing, healthcare, education, and legal documentation. In areas with internal displacement, displaced people are often viewed with suspicion by host communities, who may wrongly associate them with armed groups or violence, making integration and daily life more difficult.
