Maduro Urges Venezuelan Migrants to Return Home

President Nicolas Maduro is urging Venezuelan migrants to return to the country. As presidential elections come closer (July 28), the head of state assured that if he is re-elected, the country will become the “astonishment of South America”.

Maduro is seeking his second re-election and is confident he will keep his position of power at least until 2031. However, at this point, independent polls predict a comfortable triumph for the unitary candidate of the opposition, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.

Will Venezuelan migrants return to the country?

No doubt Nicolas Maduro will do anything in his power for his re-election to be a success and therefore he will do his best to convince those who have fled the country that this time things will be different.

Last week, the Venezuelan president announced the creation of a new vice-ministry that would specifically deal with citizens returning to the country. The objective, according to Maduro, is to favor the return of those members of the Venezuelan diaspora who had left the country but now wish to return.

This initiative is basically the reactivation of the program called Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland Plan), focused on the return of migrants. The Venezuelan head of state assured legal assistance to those who decide to return, in order to avoid any kind of “abuse they might receive in other countries”.

He also promised special attention to education, culture, and sports, as well as an “integral socioeconomic protection for the return” and a communication plan so that “the truth is told” about the migrants.

The Venezuelan Diaspora, an unprecedented exodus in Latin America

The Venezuelan diaspora has become one of the most important migratory phenomena in the contemporary history of Latin America. Since it began in 2013, the number of migrants has exceeded 7.7 million, according to figures from international agencies such as the UN and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This mass exodus was driven by a combination of economic, political, and social crises that deeply affected the South American country.

The causes of this migration are multiple and complex. Hyperinflation, food and medicine shortages, along with insecurity and lack of job opportunities, have forced millions of Venezuelans to seek a better life abroad. In addition, political repression and the lack of civil liberties have been crucial factors pushing many to flee the country.

Even though Venezuelan migrants have chosen throughout the years different destinations as their new homes, the countries that have received the largest number of refugees are Colombia, Peru, and the United States. Colombia is home to more than two million Venezuelans, while Peru has more than one million. In the United States, it is estimated that there are more than 400,000 Venezuelans. Other countries such as Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Spain have also received large numbers of migrants.

The Venezuelan diaspora has generated as much controversy as opportunities in host countries. While migrants face difficulties integrating into new societies, they also contribute to local economies with their work and entrepreneurship. This phenomenon continues to evolve, and its impact on the region will be a topic of analysis for years to come.

The big question now is if Maduro’s government will finally come to an end. The country is living the uncertainty of whether on July 28, when the presidential elections will take place, Venezuela will achieve free elections that could lead to a successful political change.

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