 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Miranda: 72.923 Spaniards[1] Distrito Capital: 44.201 Spaniards[1] Carabobo: 19.669 Spaniards[1] | |
| Languages | |
| Venezuelan Spanish Minorities ofCatalan,Basque,Galician,Valencian,Aragonese,Occitan, andAsturleonese speakers | |
| Religion | |
| PredominantlyRoman Catholic | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Spaniards includingCriollo people,Canary Islanders (Isleño), andPeninsulares |
| Part ofa series on the |
| Spanish people |
|---|
_alternate_colours.svg) Rojigualda (historical Spanish flag) |
| Regional groups |
Other groups |
| SignificantSpanish diaspora |
 Category •  Spain portal |
Spanish Immigration to Venezuela[2] began around 1500, when the Spanish first landed on and conquered the territory, and immigration continues to the present day. There are many Venezuelans of Spanish origin, especially from theCanary Islands (known asIsleños). And by this event, mostWhite and multiracial (Moreno,Pardo,Mestizo, andMulatto) Venezuelans have Spanish ancestry.
Spanish immigration toVenezuela begins with theSpanish colonization of the Americas and it continued duringColonial Venezuela and after independence (1830). Further immigration has taken place since, particularly following at the start ofWorld War II[3] and during theFrancoist dictatorship.[4]
From the beginning of the colonial period and until the end of the Second World War, most European immigrants in Venezuela were Spanish, predominantlyCanary Islanders. Their cultural impact was significant, influencing both the development ofCastilian Spanish in the country as well as itscuisine and customs. Venezuela has perhaps the largest population of Canarian origin, and it is commonly said in the Canary Islands that "Venezuela is the eighth island of the Canary Islands." In the 16th century, the German conquistadorGeorg von Speyer in the Canary Islands recruited 200 men to colonize Venezuela, as didDiego Hernández de Serpa, governor ofNew Andalusia Province, who sent another 200 soldiers and 400 slaves fromGran Canaria to Venezuela,[5] where some of these Canarians were among the founders ofCumaná.
From 1936 onwards, the majority of Canarian immigrants opted for relocation to either Cuba or Venezuela, with some of those who moved to Venezuela originating from Cuba. This migration was actively promoted by the government, particularly targeting Spanish citizens. The trend continued until 1948, primarily favoring Venezuela. Although large-scale immigration persisted until the early 1980s, there was a notable decline in the 1970s,[6] coinciding with the onset of Canarian emigration to various European countries. Presently, descendants of Canary Islanders are dispersed across Venezuela.[7]
In 1949, theCIA produced a paper concerningspanish republican immigration, as they were concerned of the recent activity in the country.[8]
As of December 2014, there are more 231,833 Spanish citizens in Venezuela.[9] As of January 2016, that figure reduced to 188,025 according to the spanishNational Statistics Institute. In the same study, Venezuela ranked fourth in total immigration.[10] One year later, immigration the country slowed down considerably.[11]
Diego Hernández de Serpa, gobernador de la Nueva Andalucía (Venezuela), parte de Sanlúcar en 1569, y concierta con su pariente Adriano Padilla el envío a su costa de doscientos hombres.
K. Rector, AmandaCitizenship and belonging in the in-between: transatlantic immigration to Venezuela and Brazil, 1830-1914 16 July 2025 Illinois Institute 1st edition.
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