El impacto de las migraciones cochabambinas en el marco de las transformaciones globales de las migraciones

in Solé, Carlota; Parella, Sonia; Cavalcanti, Leonardo (Eds.) Migración boliviana y prácticas transnacionales (in press)

¿Donde se ubica Bolivia en los cambios migratorios de la era global caracterizados por sus vínculos transnacionales? Para responder esta pregunta, se investiga el caso de los emigrantes procedentes de la ... [more ▼]

¿Donde se ubica Bolivia en los cambios migratorios de la era global caracterizados por sus vínculos transnacionales? Para responder esta pregunta, se investiga el caso de los emigrantes procedentes de la ciudad de Cochabamba. En esta ciudad, en marzo del 2009 el CEPLAG-CIUF, realizamos una encuesta de gran amplitud con el propósito de entender las diversas facetas de las migraciones cochabambinas contemporáneas y determinar cómo estas se relacionan con las tendencias globales que acabamos de destacar . Los resultados de dicha encuesta son la base de este artículo. En vista de los requerimientos estadísticos y analíticos del estudio, para realizar la encuesta se visitaron alrededor de 40 mil predios y se encuestaron 15 400 mil hogares. Un tercio de los hogares encuestados declaró tener al menos un familiar en el extranjero. Estos hogares se denominan en este artículo “hogares transmigrantes”. [less ▲]

“¡Basta con Evo!” El voto boliviano en Nueva York

in Lafleur, Jean-Michel (Ed.) Diáspora y voto en el exterior: La participación política de los emigrantes bolivianos en las elecciones de su país de origen (2012)

La experiencia de voto boliviano en los Estados Unidos se caracteriza por la claridad de la victoria del partido de la oposición, Convergencia, y por el bajo nivel de registros de los ciudadanos ... [more ▼]

La experiencia de voto boliviano en los Estados Unidos se caracteriza por la claridad de la victoria del partido de la oposición, Convergencia, y por el bajo nivel de registros de los ciudadanos bolivianos. En este capítulo tratamos de entender las razones que explican la excepción estadouni- dense en las prácticas políticas del emigrante boliviano. Para lograr este objetivo, analizamos primero la evolución de los flujos migratorios bolivianos hacia los Estados Unidos. En segundo lugar, examinamos los datos de la encuesta llevada a cabo el día de la elección con los electores del área metropolitana de Nueva York e ilustramos los resultados de la encuesta con una serie de extractos de entrevistas realizadas con emi- grantes. Gracias a estos datos, el capítulo define el perfil socioeconómico del elector boliviano en Nueva York e identifica los factores que afectan a la formación de las opiniones políticas de los ciudadanos en el exterior (como, por ejemplo, las dimensiones comunitarias y transnacionales de la migración boliviana). [less ▲]

Surgimiento y desarrollo del “voto en el exterior” en el “proceso de cambio” boliviano

in Lafleur, Jean-Michel (Ed.) Diáspora y voto en el exterior: La participación política de los emigrantes bolivianos en las elecciones de su país de origen (2012)

Este capítulo analiza el surgimiento del voto en el exterior tanto en el contexto político boliviano entre los años 2003 y 2009 como en el marco global del reciente desarrollo de políticas públicas de los ... [more ▼]

Este capítulo analiza el surgimiento del voto en el exterior tanto en el contexto político boliviano entre los años 2003 y 2009 como en el marco global del reciente desarrollo de políticas públicas de los estados de origen destinadas a los ciudadanos residentes en el exterior. Para comprender el interés actual en la extensión del sufragio a ciudadanos residentes en el exterior, se exploran tres elementos: 1) la formación de comunidades migrantes organizadas en el exterior que reivindican derechos en sus países de origen; 2) la importancia estratégica de los emigrantes para los gobiernos expulsores en un mundo globalizado; y, 3) las transformaciones de la escena política doméstica. En concreto, se examina la relación que se ha creado entre el Gobierno nacional y los emigrantes a partir de la llegada del Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) a la Presidencia en el año 2006 y el proceso político por el cual llega a hacer- se efectivo el llamado “voto en el exterior”. [less ▲]

Introducción: Transnacionalismo, diáspora y voto en el exterior

in Lafleur, Jean-Michel (Ed.) Diáspora y voto en el exterior. La participación política de los emigrantes bolivianos en las elecciones de su país de origen (2012)

Esta introducción discute la evolución del concepto de transnacionalismo en el estudio de las prácticas políticas y sociales de los emigrantes. En este marco, el capítulo plantea que el voto en el ... [more ▼]

Esta introducción discute la evolución del concepto de transnacionalismo en el estudio de las prácticas políticas y sociales de los emigrantes. En este marco, el capítulo plantea que el voto en el exterior es una de las políticas de vinculación adoptadas por los Estados expulsores a través del cual los emigrantes continúan siendo miembros de la comunidad política, pese a su ausencia del territorio nacional. A través del estudio del voto de los emigrantes bolivianos en las elecciones presidenciales del año 2009, este libro discute el impacto del voto en el exterior sobre las relaciones entre la diáspora, el país de origen y el país de destino. [less ▲]

Voting across borders. Challenges and Opportunities for the Emigrants and their Host and Home societies

Conference (2011, November 11)

Assessing Emigrant Participation in Home Country Elections: The Case of Mexico’s 2006 Presidential Election

in International Migration (2011), 49(3), 99-124

How did Mexican migrants react to the opportunity to formally participate for the first time in home country politics during the 2006 Presidential Election? In this paper, we attempt to explain the low ... [more ▼]

How did Mexican migrants react to the opportunity to formally participate for the first time in home country politics during the 2006 Presidential Election? In this paper, we attempt to explain the low level of migrant voter registration in home country elections. Grounding ourselves on the existing literature on voter turnout, we verify two hypotheses that focus (1) on the role of Mexican authorities, and (2) on the interest of migrants and migrant associations in home country politics. Building on the case of Mexico, the paper concludes with proposing a series of variables upon which we suggest research could focus in order to assess migrant voter turnout in home country elections. [less ▲]

Exporting Ethnic Divisions? The Political Participation of Belgian Citizens Abroad

Conference (2011, May 26)

The Belgian emigrants’ political participation in home country politics is an issue that has undergone several important developments since the end of the 1990s but has surprisingly been subject to very ... [more ▼]

The Belgian emigrants’ political participation in home country politics is an issue that has undergone several important developments since the end of the 1990s but has surprisingly been subject to very little research. The absence of the issue of emigration from the Belgian political agenda combined with the limited engagement of this population with the home country thus stands for the absence of research on the topic. The lack of academic interest, in turn, has favoured the development of two major stereotypes in Belgium with respect to the political preferences of citizens residing abroad. One is that the Belgian population abroad would tend to be more favourable to right-wing parties than the average Belgian citizens. This stereotype has long explained why the Francophone liberal party (PRL later called MR) has been most active in supporting the enfranchisement of citizens abroad for legislative elections. The second stereotype, to which we will devote most of our attention in this article, supposes that Belgians abroad would be unaffected by the political tensions opposing Flemish and Francophone political parties in Belgium over the past decade. Despite the fact that over the past forty years Belgian politics have been increasingly dominated by the ethnic tension between Flemings and Francophones, the stereotype that Belgians abroad would be unaffected by these developments has remained. The idea that the evolution towards greater regional autonomy defended by political parties (with more intensity in Flanders than in French-speaking Belgium) would not find echo among Belgians abroad is thus very prevalent and is still frequently propagated by the press. In this article, I however question this idea that the political opinions of Belgians abroad would be unaffected by the evolution of the ethnic conflict between Flemings and Francophones and argue instead that the evolution of the ethnic conflict has led to the parallel division of the Belgian political opinion abroad. Belgian emigrants are not more supportive of the Belgian unitary state model than Belgian citizens residing in Belgium. To support this argument, I will proceed to the following analysis. After a brief presentation of the socio-demographic profile of the Belgian emigrant population, I first proceed to a discussion on the creation of the two main Belgian emigrant associations to demonstrate how the tension between Flemings and Francophones was a crucial variable in the creation and development of these organizations. Second, I discuss the adoption of the two external voting laws to illustrate how the anticipated impact of emigrant voters has steered controversies on the territorial border between Flemish and French-speaking areas of Belgium. This situation, I argue, has contributed to further the distinction between Flemish and French-speaking Belgians abroad. Third, comparing the evolution of national legislative elections in 2003, 2007 and 2010, I argue that the success of Flemish nationalist parties in Flanders has followed a similar pattern among Flemish voters abroad. [less ▲]

Why do states enfranchise citizens abroad? Comparative insights from Mexico, Italy and Belgium

in Global Networks (2011), 11(4), 481-501

Over the past two decades, sending states have greatly increased their interest in maintaining strong connections with their citizens abroad. The worldwide adoption of external voting – understood not ... [more ▼]

Over the past two decades, sending states have greatly increased their interest in maintaining strong connections with their citizens abroad. The worldwide adoption of external voting – understood not only as an electoral procedure that allows some citizens to cast their vote outside the national territory but also as an acknowledgement that an emigrant status is compatible with polity membership – illustrates this phenomenon. Why do states enfranchise citizens abroad? In this article, I seek to answer this question by comparing the evolution of the debates on the extension of voting privileges to citizens residing abroad in Mexico, Italy and Belgium. My central argument is that a combination of variables shapes the develop- ment of external voting in different parts of the world, as well as the content of these laws. These include emigrant lobbying, home states ’ desires to stimulate emigrant loyalty for economic purposes and, most importantly, the evolution of domestic politics. In discussing these variables, I also shed light on how one can shape the adoption of external voting legislation to control the impact of votes cast abroad. [less ▲]

External Voting and migrants’ political influence in the home country

Conference (2010, October 06)

External Voting and Voter Turnout: A Discussion on Migrants Decisions to Register and Vote in Home Country Elections

Scientific conference (2010, April 30)

What factors influence migrants’ decision to participate in home country elections? While existing literature on general voter turnout and turnout of minority and migrant voters has long attempted to ... [more ▼]

What factors influence migrants’ decision to participate in home country elections? While existing literature on general voter turnout and turnout of minority and migrant voters has long attempted to explain why migrants become involved in the politics in their place of residence, little is known about what drives emigrants to vote in their home country elections from abroad. This paper builds up on this literature to determine what variables should be analyzed to understand the behavior of external voters, and also points out possible alternative variables. To support this discussion, the paper relies on analyses of four countries - Italy, Belgium, Mexico and Bolivia - that have implemented external voting mechanisms in recent years. [less ▲]