Abstract

LOPEZ VILLAMIL, Stéphanie  and  WABGOU, Maguemati. The Agency of Migrants in Contexts of Labor Precarity: Venezuelan Migrants and Platform-based Delivery Work in Colombia and Peru. rev.estud.soc. [online]. 2026, n.96, pp.37-60.  Epub June 04, 2026. ISSN 0123-885X.  https://doi.org/10.7440/res96.2026.03.

Colombia and Peru have received the largest shares of the Venezuelan migrant population in recent years. Colombia is currently home to more than 2.8 million Venezuelans, while Peru hosts approximately 1.6 million. In both countries, many Venezuelans turned to delivery platforms as a source of income. During the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace safety, personal security, and access to social protection became urgent concerns, including for migrant workers with irregular immigration status. This paper examines the Venezuelan migrants’ agency as an expression of resistance and resilience in their work on delivery platforms such as Rappi and PedidosYa in Colombia and Peru as they navigate precarious labor conditions. The analysis focuses on recent legislative developments, their effects on migrants’ socio-economic inclusion amid ongoing regularization processes, and the proposals put forward by civil society leaders and trade unions. These initiatives are intended to strengthen the social and legal framework governing platform work, in order to expand protections and improve access to employment for Venezuelan migrants.

Keywords : agency; digital platforms; gig-economy; labor market; organization; precarization; segmentation; Venezuelan migrants.

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