Shifting perceptions or shifting attention? The local press, Venezuelan migration, and hostile perceptions in Colombia

Abstract

Social protests were crucial to the election of Colombia's progressive government in 2022. However, it's role in the violence against Venezuelan migrants that preceded it is still unclear.  This paper examines racial bias in media responses to Venezuelan migrants during Colombia's 2019-2021 social protests. Theorists suggest that structural changes like migration can normalize hostility against vulnerable groups when specific conditions increase hostile perceptions. Colombia's press has not been scrutinized for misanthropic and hostile views, focusing on xenophobic urban riots that occurred alongside social protests in November 2019. We conducted a content analysis of Colombian newspapers, linking migration, violence, and protests, along with public migration data from Venezuela. Our findings reveal that social movements in Colombia intersect with contemporary Venezuelan migration, highlighting the ambivalence of social protests. While protests may have shifted attention away from racist attributions toward Venezuelan migrants, they do not signify a new perception of vulnerable populations.