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Original language
06.11.2025
A Theoretical Approach to Migration: A Guide to Action
A Theoretical Approach to Migration: A Guide to Action
By: Pedro Sassone García
Deputy Minister for Comprehensive Support for Venezuelan Migrants
1 Economic Migration as a Consequence of the Destruction of the Material Base of the Venezuelan Population
One of the most relevant approaches to migration today is as a mechanism for mitigating the capitalist crisis, which is expressed in the transfer of demographic dividends from the countries of the Global South to the countries of the Global North – specifically the flight of the economically active working population with decent education, as is the case of Venezuelan migration. On the other hand, developed countries are experiencing labour shortages in industry, agriculture, services, and home care. This is accompanied by an aging population, which significantly affects the country’s demographic pyramid. The absorption of migrant labour is an attempt to balance labour markets. At the same time, migrants are paid below minimum wage and are not allowed to join trade unions that would protect their rights. These workers are forced to accept working conditions without social security, where the need for survival takes precedence over labour rights.
Studies confirm that Venezuelan migration is driven by economic concerns – the desire to improve one’s material situation. However, for many, the decision to leave their homeland has come with numerous difficulties associated with moving to countries with alien cultures. It often happens that the living conditions in the host country are worse than in Venezuela, which only compounds the emotional anguish of having to leave one’s home and family. In many cases, migrants face difficulties at all levels – social, economic, psychological, emotional, and domestic. They can be considered “direct victims” of the economic war unleashed against Venezuela.
Venezuelan migration is a direct consequence of the more than 950 unilateral coercive measures introduced by the United States and its allies against the country. Over the course of eight years, these measures have destroyed a good portion of the country’s economic base, dealt a blow to the oil industry, and blocked trade and the import of medicines, food products, and industrial goods. The country’s financial resources have been frozen, the effects of which continue to be felt, despite the efforts of the Venezuelan government of overcome the difficulties and mitigate their negative impact.
But the brutal attack against the country is real, aimed at undermining and destroying the standard of living in Venezuela, which, at the beginning of the Bolivarian Revolution, boasted the highest minimum wage in the region and an impressive number of achievements in the social sphere, education, and healthcare. In political terms, it is important to be clear: the world’s hegemonic powers are intent on destroying the socialist model established in Venezuela so that it does not become an example that the rest of the world might follow.
Venezuelan migration is caused by economic considerations. This is a proven fact: as the economy has gradually recovered, demonstrating growth over the past 14 quarters (GDP growth as of EOY 2024 was 8.5%), significant numbers of migrants are returning to the country, with no restrictions or threats to life. The latter fact exposes the manipulative tactics of external forces and refutes the lie that they had fled the country in search of asylum. As President Nicolás Maduro (2025) has noted:
“Today, we can calculate that of the approximately two million Venezuelans who left the country during the years of the brutal economic war […] almost one million have already returned to the country. Many of them from Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, and some from Colombia.”
2 Migration as an Instrument of Political Attack on Venezuela
The tragic reality of migration around the world is often manipulated by the world’s media, which conceals facts, creates false expectations, and exploits migrations processes for political purposes. On the one hand, this is done to discredit migration from poor countries, painting these newcomers as a threat to the stability and security of developed countries.
Migration has become a political weapon in unconventional warfare against countries and governments that do not serve the interests of the North American empire. This is what happened in Venezuela, where migration processes have been stripped of their true context – that they were motivated by the economic hardships brought about by the application of unilateral coercive measures that destroyed the basis of the Venezuelan population.
Migration is used as a mechanism to attack countries and governments. And Venezuela was the victim of one such attack. The phenomenon was taken completely out of its true context and actively promoted on social networks and by the international media and foreign governments to discredit the Bolivarian Revolution and the sovereign Venezuelan state, as well as to sway global public opinion in favour of a potential “humanitarian intervention” under the pretext of the “responsibility to protect.” The latter concept is highly controversial and is not legally recognized by the United Nations, whose stance is that the “international community” may intervene in the affairs of a sovereign state in cases where it is deemed that that state is unable to protect its own population. These are declared “failed states,” which is sufficient justification for military intervention.
In the same geopolitical context, inculcating a sense of hopelessness in the population, especially young people with a technical education or university degree, leads to the migration of a significant number of skilled professionals. It is important to stress that this did not happen by accident in Venezuela. It was meticulously designed and unleashed as a geopolitical weapon to destroy the social structure and deprive Venezuela of its human potential, which is a fundamental factor of national security, the effective functioning of the state and its institutions, and the quality of basic public services (particularly healthcare and education). The result was the outflow of thousands of teachers, university lecturers, highly qualified doctors, engineers, and specialists with a university education to other countries, mainly those in South America. This has had the knock-on effect of negatively impacting the quality of life of Venezuelans who remained in the country.
In the utilitarian logic of using migration for political purposes, some international organizations have attempted to impose the narrative surrounding Venezuela that these people were “refugees” – a category established by law in the context of international and national agreements. Chapter I, Article 1, Paragraph 2 of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees adopted in Geneva on July 28, 1951 states that the term “refugee” shall apply to any person who, “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.”
Venezuelan migrants have been deliberately portrayed as “refugees” as part of an international campaign against Venezuela to discredit its government. The category of “refugee” has been twisted and actively promoted in the media. The narrative was that people were fleeing the country to escape political turmoil and the mass persecution of the population. Unfortunately, some international organizations supported the use of this category, disseminating it internationally and even presenting it as reality at various international meetings. Time has shown just how wrong these claims were. The attempts to liken the situation with Venezuelan migrants to that of genuine refugees from conflict zones have not stood up to scrutiny. According to the international organizations themselves, only a small minority (approximately 1%) of Venezuelan migrants in Ecuador have been granted refugee status – and this is after the agreed protocols to determine such status have been applied. And the majority of these were unaccompanied children and adolescents who had been granted international protection.
3 Migration as a Strategy of War and Psychological Propaganda
In an effort to undermine the Bolivarian Revolution, North American think tanks have implemented a military strategy to depopulate Venezuela, destroy the social dynamics of public participation, and promote a brain (talent) drain. The has led to the exile of significant numbers of skilled workers and has been used as a geopolitical tool to undermine the social structure and deprive the country of its human potential, which is a fundamental factor of national security, the effective functioning of the state and its institutions, and the quality of basic public services. The flight of thousands of teachers, university lecturers, highly qualified doctors, and heads of departments has decimated public services, negatively impacting the wellbeing of the Venezuelan population.
Migration has been transformed into an instrument of war that aims to completely devastate Venezuela. The purpose of the 930 unilateral coercive measures that have been unleashed against the country is to destroy its economic base, and they have succeeded in slowing down national development and directly impacting the quality of life of Venezuelans. The sanctions policy has also stimulated migration, a process accompanied by cognitive warfare strategies that influence public consciousness through social networks and the media. The distortion of reality and the objective reasons for economic migration was intended to manipulate public opinion. A narrative was created that all the problems in the country were the fault of the “bad government,” not the economic blockade the country had been subjected to.
The deployment of cognitive warfare has led to a significant portion of the Venezuelan population leaving the country with a feeling of separation from national institutions, the loss of identity, belonging, and national roots. The strategy itself was aimed at dismantling the Venezuelan nation into its basic components: population, state, and territory. This engendered feelings of hopelessness and emptiness, the conviction that all hope was lost in Venezuela, that progress and prosperity were unattainable, and that the only way to accomplish one’s life goals was by leaving the country. The real shock came when the those who had left were faced with incredible difficulties and limited opportunities for development in other countries.
The propaganda campaign against Venezuelan was not limited to attempts to impose “refugee” status on Venezuelan migrants, as it was also directed at the population inside the country. A campaign was launched on social media that presented “leaving the country” as the solution to all problems. The real situation, the dangers and costs associated with emigration, were hidden. The sole goal was to convince people to “leave” Venezuela. It is important to understand that such informational constructs, which constantly influence people’s consciousness, do not arise by chance. They are intentionally created by special laboratories.
4 Return to the Homeland: An Unprecedented Comprehensive Strategy
The government of President Nicolás Maduro is the only one in the world that pursues a state policy to ensure the repatriation of nationals through its Great Mission to Return to the Homeland. In addition, various diplomatic missions provide social and legal support every day to Venezuelan citizens, helping them with paperwork, implementing the consular social diplomacy model.
The path to building a revolutionary process is the pursuit of happiness for the Venezuelan people and the full attention to their needs. This is one of the challenges that we face on a daily basis. There is still much work to be done, but the most important thing is to not let our feet off the gas, working tirelessly for the benefit and development of the Homeland, strengthening peace and the common good. The humanitarian protection of Venezuelan citizens is key here, as it important that they know and understand that, no matter where they are, the Bolivarian government is with them and is ready to help them in any way it can.
In this context, President Maduro’s Great Mission to Return to the Homeland aims to address these challenges by developing various social protection initiatives at the national and international levels. The goal is to create a network of connections and close relationships among Venezuelans to strengthen national identity and a sense of belonging to Venezuela through various state programmes in the cultural, socioeconomic, and educational spheres. This work is carried out through consular services and digital diplomacy using modern technological platforms.
The main objective is to continuously encourage people to return to Venezuela of their own volition, to take advantage of the opportunities and experience gained by Venezuelan professionals abroad to reintegrate them into the process of economic growth that is developing in Venezuela. Special attention is paid to creating a cultural basis for preventing migration through a national strategy that is linked to major missions and focused on dialogue with young people.
5 Some Proposals for Defining a Comprehensive Plan for the Support of Venezuelan Migrants at the Regional Level
• Development of coordinated policies on labour and migration protection for migrants who are vulnerable and/or victims of discrimination and human rights violations in host countries,
• Search, rescue, and assistance to children and adolescents placed in institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Migration protection through the exchange of consular services, with a focus on research and coordinated responses to the problem of organized crime in the case of human trafficking networks.
• Exchange of best practices in migrant rights protection.
5.1 Introduction of a Comprehensive Social Protection System in Education, Culture, Sports, Healthcare, and Industrial Initiatives to Strengthen Cultural Ties with the Country of Origin
• Realizing the right to education through the provision of productive secondary education in host countries.
• Creation of a joint platform for the use of professional skills through certification and the accreditation of knowledge, experience, and professional skills.
• Exchange of experience of organizational forms of migrant associations, such as social clubs and associations, and other forms of cultural self-organization.
• Exchange of digital platform models for providing healthcare, psychological, social, and legal assistance.
5.2 Collaboration in the Development of Economic Entrepreneurship Strategies and Initiatives to Harness the Professional Capabilities of Migrants and Their Links to the Return Process and the Formation of Economic Integration Modalities with Countries of Origin
• Developing strategies and programmes to attract professionals who want to invest in their countries of origin.
• Creation of a system of foundations to stimulate economic entrepreneurship projects for development in the countries of origin.
• Providing funding to returning migrant families for the development of socioeconomic activities.
5.3 Developing Research Strategies and Communication Initiatives to Prevent Migration and Promote Voluntary Return
• Conducting international campaigns in the media, on social networks, and on the street to prevent migration.
• Organizing information campaigns to promote voluntary return.
• Creating a structure of platform for migration research at the LAC level, coordinated with think tanks, universities, and institutes in various countries.
5.4 Promotion and Coordination of the Repatriation of Venezuelan Citizens in Vulnerable Socioeconomic Situations Who Want to Return to Their Homeland
• Establishing coordination with international organizations to return migrant families in high-risk areas (health problems, abandoned families, etc.).
By: Pedro Sassone García
Deputy Minister for Comprehensive Support for Venezuelan Migrants
1 Economic Migration as a Consequence of the Destruction of the Material Base of the Venezuelan Population
One of the most relevant approaches to migration today is as a mechanism for mitigating the capitalist crisis, which is expressed in the transfer of demographic dividends from the countries of the Global South to the countries of the Global North – specifically the flight of the economically active working population with decent education, as is the case of Venezuelan migration. On the other hand, developed countries are experiencing labour shortages in industry, agriculture, services, and home care. This is accompanied by an aging population, which significantly affects the country’s demographic pyramid. The absorption of migrant labour is an attempt to balance labour markets. At the same time, migrants are paid below minimum wage and are not allowed to join trade unions that would protect their rights. These workers are forced to accept working conditions without social security, where the need for survival takes precedence over labour rights.
Studies confirm that Venezuelan migration is driven by economic concerns – the desire to improve one’s material situation. However, for many, the decision to leave their homeland has come with numerous difficulties associated with moving to countries with alien cultures. It often happens that the living conditions in the host country are worse than in Venezuela, which only compounds the emotional anguish of having to leave one’s home and family. In many cases, migrants face difficulties at all levels – social, economic, psychological, emotional, and domestic. They can be considered “direct victims” of the economic war unleashed against Venezuela.
Venezuelan migration is a direct consequence of the more than 950 unilateral coercive measures introduced by the United States and its allies against the country. Over the course of eight years, these measures have destroyed a good portion of the country’s economic base, dealt a blow to the oil industry, and blocked trade and the import of medicines, food products, and industrial goods. The country’s financial resources have been frozen, the effects of which continue to be felt, despite the efforts of the Venezuelan government of overcome the difficulties and mitigate their negative impact.
But the brutal attack against the country is real, aimed at undermining and destroying the standard of living in Venezuela, which, at the beginning of the Bolivarian Revolution, boasted the highest minimum wage in the region and an impressive number of achievements in the social sphere, education, and healthcare. In political terms, it is important to be clear: the world’s hegemonic powers are intent on destroying the socialist model established in Venezuela so that it does not become an example that the rest of the world might follow.
Venezuelan migration is caused by economic considerations. This is a proven fact: as the economy has gradually recovered, demonstrating growth over the past 14 quarters (GDP growth as of EOY 2024 was 8.5%), significant numbers of migrants are returning to the country, with no restrictions or threats to life. The latter fact exposes the manipulative tactics of external forces and refutes the lie that they had fled the country in search of asylum. As President Nicolás Maduro (2025) has noted:
“Today, we can calculate that of the approximately two million Venezuelans who left the country during the years of the brutal economic war […] almost one million have already returned to the country. Many of them from Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, and some from Colombia.”
2 Migration as an Instrument of Political Attack on Venezuela
The tragic reality of migration around the world is often manipulated by the world’s media, which conceals facts, creates false expectations, and exploits migrations processes for political purposes. On the one hand, this is done to discredit migration from poor countries, painting these newcomers as a threat to the stability and security of developed countries.
Migration has become a political weapon in unconventional warfare against countries and governments that do not serve the interests of the North American empire. This is what happened in Venezuela, where migration processes have been stripped of their true context – that they were motivated by the economic hardships brought about by the application of unilateral coercive measures that destroyed the basis of the Venezuelan population.
Migration is used as a mechanism to attack countries and governments. And Venezuela was the victim of one such attack. The phenomenon was taken completely out of its true context and actively promoted on social networks and by the international media and foreign governments to discredit the Bolivarian Revolution and the sovereign Venezuelan state, as well as to sway global public opinion in favour of a potential “humanitarian intervention” under the pretext of the “responsibility to protect.” The latter concept is highly controversial and is not legally recognized by the United Nations, whose stance is that the “international community” may intervene in the affairs of a sovereign state in cases where it is deemed that that state is unable to protect its own population. These are declared “failed states,” which is sufficient justification for military intervention.
In the same geopolitical context, inculcating a sense of hopelessness in the population, especially young people with a technical education or university degree, leads to the migration of a significant number of skilled professionals. It is important to stress that this did not happen by accident in Venezuela. It was meticulously designed and unleashed as a geopolitical weapon to destroy the social structure and deprive Venezuela of its human potential, which is a fundamental factor of national security, the effective functioning of the state and its institutions, and the quality of basic public services (particularly healthcare and education). The result was the outflow of thousands of teachers, university lecturers, highly qualified doctors, engineers, and specialists with a university education to other countries, mainly those in South America. This has had the knock-on effect of negatively impacting the quality of life of Venezuelans who remained in the country.
In the utilitarian logic of using migration for political purposes, some international organizations have attempted to impose the narrative surrounding Venezuela that these people were “refugees” – a category established by law in the context of international and national agreements. Chapter I, Article 1, Paragraph 2 of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees adopted in Geneva on July 28, 1951 states that the term “refugee” shall apply to any person who, “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.”
Venezuelan migrants have been deliberately portrayed as “refugees” as part of an international campaign against Venezuela to discredit its government. The category of “refugee” has been twisted and actively promoted in the media. The narrative was that people were fleeing the country to escape political turmoil and the mass persecution of the population. Unfortunately, some international organizations supported the use of this category, disseminating it internationally and even presenting it as reality at various international meetings. Time has shown just how wrong these claims were. The attempts to liken the situation with Venezuelan migrants to that of genuine refugees from conflict zones have not stood up to scrutiny. According to the international organizations themselves, only a small minority (approximately 1%) of Venezuelan migrants in Ecuador have been granted refugee status – and this is after the agreed protocols to determine such status have been applied. And the majority of these were unaccompanied children and adolescents who had been granted international protection.
3 Migration as a Strategy of War and Psychological Propaganda
In an effort to undermine the Bolivarian Revolution, North American think tanks have implemented a military strategy to depopulate Venezuela, destroy the social dynamics of public participation, and promote a brain (talent) drain. The has led to the exile of significant numbers of skilled workers and has been used as a geopolitical tool to undermine the social structure and deprive the country of its human potential, which is a fundamental factor of national security, the effective functioning of the state and its institutions, and the quality of basic public services. The flight of thousands of teachers, university lecturers, highly qualified doctors, and heads of departments has decimated public services, negatively impacting the wellbeing of the Venezuelan population.
Migration has been transformed into an instrument of war that aims to completely devastate Venezuela. The purpose of the 930 unilateral coercive measures that have been unleashed against the country is to destroy its economic base, and they have succeeded in slowing down national development and directly impacting the quality of life of Venezuelans. The sanctions policy has also stimulated migration, a process accompanied by cognitive warfare strategies that influence public consciousness through social networks and the media. The distortion of reality and the objective reasons for economic migration was intended to manipulate public opinion. A narrative was created that all the problems in the country were the fault of the “bad government,” not the economic blockade the country had been subjected to.
The deployment of cognitive warfare has led to a significant portion of the Venezuelan population leaving the country with a feeling of separation from national institutions, the loss of identity, belonging, and national roots. The strategy itself was aimed at dismantling the Venezuelan nation into its basic components: population, state, and territory. This engendered feelings of hopelessness and emptiness, the conviction that all hope was lost in Venezuela, that progress and prosperity were unattainable, and that the only way to accomplish one’s life goals was by leaving the country. The real shock came when the those who had left were faced with incredible difficulties and limited opportunities for development in other countries.
The propaganda campaign against Venezuelan was not limited to attempts to impose “refugee” status on Venezuelan migrants, as it was also directed at the population inside the country. A campaign was launched on social media that presented “leaving the country” as the solution to all problems. The real situation, the dangers and costs associated with emigration, were hidden. The sole goal was to convince people to “leave” Venezuela. It is important to understand that such informational constructs, which constantly influence people’s consciousness, do not arise by chance. They are intentionally created by special laboratories.
4 Return to the Homeland: An Unprecedented Comprehensive Strategy
The government of President Nicolás Maduro is the only one in the world that pursues a state policy to ensure the repatriation of nationals through its Great Mission to Return to the Homeland. In addition, various diplomatic missions provide social and legal support every day to Venezuelan citizens, helping them with paperwork, implementing the consular social diplomacy model.
The path to building a revolutionary process is the pursuit of happiness for the Venezuelan people and the full attention to their needs. This is one of the challenges that we face on a daily basis. There is still much work to be done, but the most important thing is to not let our feet off the gas, working tirelessly for the benefit and development of the Homeland, strengthening peace and the common good. The humanitarian protection of Venezuelan citizens is key here, as it important that they know and understand that, no matter where they are, the Bolivarian government is with them and is ready to help them in any way it can.
In this context, President Maduro’s Great Mission to Return to the Homeland aims to address these challenges by developing various social protection initiatives at the national and international levels. The goal is to create a network of connections and close relationships among Venezuelans to strengthen national identity and a sense of belonging to Venezuela through various state programmes in the cultural, socioeconomic, and educational spheres. This work is carried out through consular services and digital diplomacy using modern technological platforms.
The main objective is to continuously encourage people to return to Venezuela of their own volition, to take advantage of the opportunities and experience gained by Venezuelan professionals abroad to reintegrate them into the process of economic growth that is developing in Venezuela. Special attention is paid to creating a cultural basis for preventing migration through a national strategy that is linked to major missions and focused on dialogue with young people.
5 Some Proposals for Defining a Comprehensive Plan for the Support of Venezuelan Migrants at the Regional Level
• Development of coordinated policies on labour and migration protection for migrants who are vulnerable and/or victims of discrimination and human rights violations in host countries,
• Search, rescue, and assistance to children and adolescents placed in institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Migration protection through the exchange of consular services, with a focus on research and coordinated responses to the problem of organized crime in the case of human trafficking networks.
• Exchange of best practices in migrant rights protection.
5.1 Introduction of a Comprehensive Social Protection System in Education, Culture, Sports, Healthcare, and Industrial Initiatives to Strengthen Cultural Ties with the Country of Origin
• Realizing the right to education through the provision of productive secondary education in host countries.
• Creation of a joint platform for the use of professional skills through certification and the accreditation of knowledge, experience, and professional skills.
• Exchange of experience of organizational forms of migrant associations, such as social clubs and associations, and other forms of cultural self-organization.
• Exchange of digital platform models for providing healthcare, psychological, social, and legal assistance.
5.2 Collaboration in the Development of Economic Entrepreneurship Strategies and Initiatives to Harness the Professional Capabilities of Migrants and Their Links to the Return Process and the Formation of Economic Integration Modalities with Countries of Origin
• Developing strategies and programmes to attract professionals who want to invest in their countries of origin.
• Creation of a system of foundations to stimulate economic entrepreneurship projects for development in the countries of origin.
• Providing funding to returning migrant families for the development of socioeconomic activities.
5.3 Developing Research Strategies and Communication Initiatives to Prevent Migration and Promote Voluntary Return
• Conducting international campaigns in the media, on social networks, and on the street to prevent migration.
• Organizing information campaigns to promote voluntary return.
• Creating a structure of platform for migration research at the LAC level, coordinated with think tanks, universities, and institutes in various countries.
5.4 Promotion and Coordination of the Repatriation of Venezuelan Citizens in Vulnerable Socioeconomic Situations Who Want to Return to Their Homeland
• Establishing coordination with international organizations to return migrant families in high-risk areas (health problems, abandoned families, etc.).
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