Latin American exodus from the countryside to the city: survive

The Latin American rural population is migrating to cities to try to survive. Rural despueblan and cities are overrun with its capacity. According to UN figures, 80% of Latin Americans resides today in cities. 40 Years ago the percentage was much lower: only 57%.

According to the last national census in Argentina, for example, 30% of the inhabitants is in Buenos Aires, which is 0.3% of the territory of the country.

Gabriela Agosto, Executive Director of the Social Observatory Association, says: «cities, of course, provide greater benefits in terms of service and employment offers.» «The field, by the technification and technological processes underway, expels the people».

With the hope of improving their economic potential, millions of people prefer to sacrifice life in nature for moving to a big city slums, often in overcrowded conditions.

Mariela Meza, aged 33, was born and took their four children in a tropical jungle region of the Argentina in the province of Misiones. But the possibilities were there scarce. The economic situation of the family it was becoming increasingly difficult, why Mariela opted to change the life in the midst of a landscape of lush nature by the lights of the city and went to Buenos Aires.

However, says that for their children was not easy to get used to his new life. In his birthplace felt much freer: «they rose, they were going to the stream to play.» Where we lived was large, had a stream in the courtyard. «The boys were free, had their animals, were owners of their own lives.» Once in the city, on the other hand, «they were like animals, such as Araucarias of the jungle, and were hung everywhere.» One (…) opened the hand from side to side with a glass and we had to take him to the hospital… «.»

Mariela admits that he misses his rural life. «The truth is that it always wants to return…» You always want to go back, go to missions, but well, there is no work. «Here, in one way or another, the kids eat every day».

Sociologists argue that migration from the countryside to the city is part of another global phenomenon: that of millions of people desperately seeking emigrate to more developed countries. They define the current situation as «a society in permanent movement».

Gabriela Agosto emphasizes that «globalization makes complex dynamics of populations, which we do not know where it is going to end this process.» There is a one-way field to the city, perhaps first to the nearest city, which may be the capital of province, and later the capital of the country. And finally there is an international migration. «Are not so clear national and international migration».