Diego Chaves-González
Diego Chaves-González is Senior Manager of MPI's Latin America and Caribbean Initiative (LACI), where he leads research, policy engagement, and technical assistance across the region. His work focuses on migration and development, legal pathways and labor mobility, immigrant and returnee integration, regional cooperation, and social cohesion—with a particular interest in how migration, when strategically governed, can drive economic growth and long-term development outcomes.
At MPI, Mr. Chaves-González has directed policy research and advisory processes, engaging governments, multilateral organizations, donors, civil society, and the private sector. He has led work on regularization frameworks, labor mobility programs, return and reintegration policy, and hemispheric cooperation mechanisms, and has provided technical assistance to governments navigating rapidly evolving migration dynamics.
Before joining MPI, he worked for the World Bank and the United Nations. At the World Bank, he supported the Global Concessional Financing Facility, which provided concessional financing to middle-income countries hosting large refugee populations. At the United Nations, he coordinated interagency response platforms in Colombia and contributed to strategies on reparations for conflict victims. He also served as a presidential advisor in Colombia, playing a central role in the registration and regularization of 500,000 migrants, and provided advisory support on similar initiatives in Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru.
Mr. Chaves-González holds a master's degree in economics and social development from Cardiff University, a master's in public policy from Tecnológico de Monterrey, and a bachelor's degree in political science with a specialization in international relations from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá.
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Explore Content by Diego Chaves-González
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España y América Latina siguen caminos divergentes en materia de regularización
El proceso de regularización de 2026 en España recibió cerca de 1,2 millones de solicitudes, aun cuando muchos países latinoamericanos han dado marcha atrás en medidas similares para los venezolanos.
Spain and Latin America Take Diverging Paths on Regularization
Spain’s 2026 regularization drew nearly 1.2 million applications, even as many Latin American countries have pulled back from similar measures for Venezuelans.
Rebuilding Lives in Guatemala: Understanding Returnee Profiles and Reintegration Challenges
Guatemalan returnees’ profile is changing, as they often have lived outside Guatemala for longer and have deep roots elsewhere. This report analyzes ways to strengthen reintegration services.
Reconstruyendo vidas en Guatemala: Entendiendo los perfiles de los migrantes retornados y los retos para su reintegración
El perfil de los migrantes guatemaltecos que están siendo forzados a retornar a Guatemala ha mostrado señales de cambio. Este informe analiza las oportunidades para fortalecer los servicios de reintegración.
Post-Maduro, a Measured Approach to Venezuelan Migration Is More Essential than Ever
Facing a post-Maduro future for Venezuela, most of the nearly 8 million Venezuelans abroad are cautiously waiting, and many are likely to keep building lives in their host country. In this uncertain context, governments should prioritize sustained regularization and integration over returns, genuine regional coordination, and renewed financing, this short read argues.
Tras Maduro, un enfoque mesurado de la migración venezolana es más esencial que nunca
Ante un posible escenario pos-Maduro para Venezuela, la mayoría de los casi 8 millones de venezolanos que se encuentran en el extranjero esperan con cautela, y es probable que muchos continúen construyendo sus vidas en los países de acogida. En este contexto de incertidumbre, los gobiernos deberían priorizar la regularización y la integración sostenidas por encima de los retornos, avanzar hacia una coordinación regional genuina y reactivar la financiación, sostiene este foco analítico.
Las reformas en materia de seguridad en Ecuador deben representar un primer paso, no el último
La reforma de la ley de movilidad humana de Ecuador impone controles de inmigración más estrictos, vinculando la migración de venezolanos con el aumento vertiginoso de los índices de criminalidad. Sin embargo, esta vinculación no está respaldada por los hechos, y Ecuador debería pasar ahora a una segunda fase en la elaboración de sus políticas: una fase centrada en la integración y el desarrollo de los inmigrantes.
Security Reforms in Ecuador Should Not Be the Last Word
Ecuador's reform of its law on human mobility imposes stricter immigration controls and speeds deportations, linking migration of Venezuelans to spiraling crime rates. Yet this linkage is not supported by the facts, and Ecuador should now move to a phase two in its policymaking: one focused on immigrant integration and development, this short read argues.
El aumento de la migración en América Latina y el Caribe ha marcado el comienzo de una nueva era volátil
América Latina y el Caribe se enfrentan a una nueva era de migración marcada por la inestabilidad: los avances en materia de solidaridad se están desvaneciendo, las presiones para deportar a los migrantes van en aumento y la cooperación regional está perdiendo terreno.
Rising Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean Has Ushered in a Volatile New Era
Latin America and the Caribbean face a volatile new migration era: Solidarity gains are fraying, deportation pressures are mounting, and regional cooperation is losing ground.