Quito Process

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted, on June 30th and July 1st, the 8th Plenary Meeting of the Quito Process, a coordination mechanism among Latin American and Caribbean countries, launched to face the Venezuelan refugee and migrant crisis. Since June 2021, Brazil has held the Pro Tempore Presidency of the mechanism.

More than 40 delegations, including countries from the region, observers, United Nations agencies and other institutions discussed challenges and solutions for humanitarian assistance to Venezuelan migrants and refugees.

In the opening session, Brazil stressed the importance of exchanging experiences and good practices, which has shaped Latin America and the Caribbean as a space for protection and solidarity. The meeting culminated in the signing of a joint declaration, which is available at <https://www.procesodequito.org/pr>.

Before the meeting in Brasília, several delegations visited Operação Acolhida (Operation Welcome), in Boa Vista, to get a closer look at the Brazilian response to the flow of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants and refugees. The Operation is considered an international reference for welcoming: all Venezuelans have access to documentation, public services and the job market, without any discrimination, in accordance with Brazilian legislation and the international commitments made by the country.

Since 2018, when the Quito Process was launched, more than 6 million Venezuelan citizens have left their country in search of better living conditions. About 5.1 million remain in the countries of the region, including 345,000 in Brazil.