Venezuelans in Spain
Venezuelans in Spain form one of the main immigrant groups from Hispanic America in the country. Spain is the European country to which most Venezuelans choose to migrate because of the language, family ties and shared customs. As all Latin Americans, Venezuelans who emigrate are allowed to gain Spanish citizenship, within three years due to their Spanish ancestry. In addition, Venezuelans who are children or grandchildren of Spanish citizens can legally obtain Spanish citizenship from their countries of origin, an option open to over 3 million Venezuelans.[3]
Total population | |
---|---|
323,575 (2019) / 95,633 (2018)[lower-alpha 1] | |
Languages | |
Spanish | |
Religion | |
Christianity | |
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History
As a former part of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and a major destination of Spanish emigration up until the second half of the 20th century, Venezuela shares strong ties with Spain.
After Hugo Chávez came to power following the 1998 Venezuelan presidential election many upper-class Venezuelans decided to leave the country, a movement that intensified with the failure of the 2002 coup against President Chávez. Some estimated 100,000 Venezuelans settled in Madrid, assimilating well into Spanish society due to common Hispanic ethnicity and family ties.[4]
Recently, the crisis in Venezuela led to a large number of Venezuelan immigrants, comprising the majority of the current Venezuelan population in Spain.
Venezuelan-born population in Spain (including dual nationals)
Vertical bar chart of Venezuelan-born population in Spain between 2000 and 2019 |
Population (1998-2019) Venezuelan-born population in Spain of Spanish and/or Venezuelan nationality according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística.[5]
|
Notable people
See also
- Immigration to Spain
- Spain–Venezuela relations
- Venezuelan people
References
- "Población (españoles/extranjeros) por País de Nacimiento, sexo y año". Instituto Nacional de Estadística. 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- "Población extranjera por Nacionalidad, comunidades, Sexo y Año". Instituto Nacional de Estadística. 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- El Mundo. "Se reducen 54% permisos de trabajo a venezolanos en España" (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-latin-american-brother-country-venezuelans-seek-refuge-in-spain-11568799006
- "Población extranjera por Nacionalidad, comunidades, Sexo y Año". Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Retrieved 2019-04-05.