How did villas miserias develop in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area?

The development of villas miserias (shantytowns) in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area began in the mid-20th century, driven by significant shifts in migration and labor patterns. Following the decline of international immigration after 1930, the metropolitan area's labor demand was increasingly met by internal migrants from Argentina’s interior and neighboring countries like Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia.1

Many of these migrants, often of mestizo ancestry, found inner-city housing too crowded and settled on unoccupied land near manufacturing centers in the suburbs. These settlements, characterized by dwellings made of corrugated metal, emerged as the first villas miserias during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.12

Since the 1960s, these shantytowns have become a persistent feature of the urban landscape. They are defined by precarious land tenure, a lack of basic public services, and locations on undesirable or unused industrial land, such as areas near rivers and streams. Today, these areas remain home to a sizable minority of the population, including recent migrants who face significant challenges in integrating into the modern service-oriented economy.21