The Central American migration. Notes for a provisional map

Abstract

This paper examines the key statistics that shape migration from Central America. Although the phenomenon of migration is characterized by the fragility and contingency of its statistics, the policies that have been established have, for the most part, focused on analyzing migration from the perspective of a specific nation-state. The most recent studies highlight the urgency of thinking in transnational terms and developing a more complex regional perspective. Few subjects of study are as fluid as this phenomenon of mobile populations; for this reason, this paper is presented as provisional—a snapshot that will allow us, when necessary, to move toward a more diachronic analysis by building on the data from this moment and linking it to other data points. The reality of migration has led to the creation of new routes in the face of the threats now posed by more traditional paths—new fears, such as the dangers of mass deportation that began under President Obama’s administration in the United States—but it also fosters new forms of citizenship: more critical, more culturally rich, with new memories and complexities.