Paper short abstract:

Based on research among Venezuelan migrants in Buenos Aires doing 'essential work' during the global pandemic, this paper maps processes of class formation and political imaginaries of a 'middle classes' experiencing migration from a Left- to a Right-wing state with different authoritarian features

Paper long abstract:

This project explores the politics of class formation behind the shift from “low-skilled” to “essential” migrant work during the Covid-19 pandemic through the case of Venezuelan migrants in Argentina. From 2014 to 2019, Argentina’s government attracted over 150,000 'high-skilled' often middle-class Venezuelans, promising gainful employment. Yet, a recession and a political crisis produced by a growingly authoritarian right-wing government left many precariously employed and politically invisible in the informal and gig economy. The outbreak of Covid-19 brought Venezuelan migrants back to media and political attention as “essential” workers. Yet, how did “high-skilled” Venezuelans experience this new visibility? Did being on the “frontline” change or reinforce their perception of “skill”, “value”, and "class" in relation to work and social welfare?

Through a research among Venezuelan migrants in Buenos Aires, this SSRC/Wenner Gren funded project mapped their experiences during the pandemic. Triangulating survey, interviews and ethnographic findings, we show that the Venezuelan migration to Argentina is more varied in terms of socio-economic backgrounds, experiences and survival strategies than 'middle class' narratives portrayed it. ‘Essential workers’ especially in the platform and domestic work sectors are exposed to greater risk but also see lower levels of economic stability and labour autonomy. Yet, while perceptions of 'middle class' belonging had rather been used to lure and exploit a migration from a Left- to a Right-wing regime without the necessary labour and welfare protections, what unifies our research participants is a distaste for socialism but desire for free-marked enabled access to welfare services.