Venezuela immigration twice as high as emigration

While opposition forces in Venezuela argue that many businesses, professionals and upper class citizens are emigrating from their homeland, government proponents argue that the South American nation is now a “pole of attraction” since it became the number two immigrant destination spot on the continent.

A recent 18-minute video titled “Caracas, City of Goodbyes” has hit the web networks and gone viral. The video features young, light-skinned, upper crust Venezuelans (who are a minority in Caracas) discussing their wishes to leave the country.

The country’s private media has also shown reports about a minority of Venezuelans wishing to “flee” the nation. The professionals are running away while the Haitians and Chinese are arriving, reported Noticias24.com in November 2010.

The 2010 article said that due to expropriations and economic contradictions that year, many middle class and rich Venezuelans were fleeing, causing an exodus of businessmen, scientists, engineers and doctors.

Conservative newspaper El Universal said that for Venezuela’s emigrants, the most popular destination spot is the US, where the Venezuelan population has reportedly increased by 135% during the last ten years.

Last April, El Nacional published an article titled “Price and exchange controls causing business migration”, showing how how toy firm Mattel decided to shut its Venezualan office and manage the country’s market from Mexico, as reported by Venezuelanalysis.com.