Javier Núñez has been a Venezuelan migrant in Chile for the past seven years. This includes a five-year period until 2024 when he worked for the Columbans Migrant Ministry, including several years as a Columban Co-worker. During this time, he represented Columbans in migrant NGOs and organisations such as the Scalabrini, the Jesuits, the Catholic Migration Institute, Red Clamor, and the Archdiocese of Santiago, as well as coordinating Columban Migrant Houses in Santiago. He also served as the Regional Communications Officer.
Here, in a conversation with Fr. Dan Harding, he reflects, as a Venezuelan migrant himself, on the situation of Venezuelans in Chile. He explores what is behind the growing negative attitude towards Venezuelans in Chile.
Is it due to powerful reactionary forces in the media and politics manipulating elements within Chilean society, or is it due to xenophobic sentiments in sections of the population, as in any country, when they are trying to deal with massive social changes due
to the arrival of large numbers of migrants from other countries? Or maybe it is a mixture of both.
New Immigration Laws in Chile
Every day migrants continue to arrive in Chile. In the last few years, immigration laws have undergone many changes, especially the new Immigration Law, promulgated in May 2022, which included specific requirements for some nationalities, such as those from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, and Haiti. These additional requirements include the need for police records from one´s home nation, which are often very difficult or near impossible to obtain. Visa applications for entering Chile must now be submitted outside of Chile. This has delayed immigration visa processes for those from these countries, who continue to view Chile as a desirable destination for migration.
Economically, Chile is still a good place to migrate to
The economy in Chile has changed in the last five years, following the pandemic. While the cost of living has been increasing, nevertheless, it is still possible for us migrants to survive fairly well here with decent housing, food and other costs, including health care, all with good management.
An increase in campaigns against Venezuelans, with a growth in hate, hostility and xenophobia
Apart from the stricter migration laws geared towards us Venezuelans and several other nationalities, we Venezuelan migrants, in particular in Chile, have had to deal with an ever-growing increase in hate, hostility and xenophobia, including even attacks and assaults in the last few years.
Of course, this negative attitude does not include all Chileans. However, all the negative social media, negative reports in the legacy media and political campaigns that stereotype us Venezuelan migrants as criminals have led to an increase in negative attitudes, prejudices and social distance towards us by Chileans from 55.2% in 2019 to 82.2% in 2025, according to a recent survey.
So how did it begin?
By 2021, hundreds of thousands of desperate, hungry, frightened Venezuelans had entered Chile, with families with small children camped in small tents all around city squares, parks, and on any vacant land in Santiago, Iquique, and other major cities.
It was then that the campaigns and attacks began and continue to this day. Government programmes and humanitarian aid from the Church, the United Nations and different NGOs, however, have not been sufficient to address this ongoing problem.
Migrants, especially us Venezuelans, have been humiliated, belittled and even attacked. Any crime committed by a Venezuelan is highlighted in social and other media much more than other stories. All of this has led to an increase in extreme opinions by some in Chilean society and divisions created in Chilean families, amongst friends and in the workplace, with all debating the positive or negative value of the Venezuelan presence in Chile.
Once the migrant issue became a topic for debate in political campaigns, including the November 2025 presidential campaign, everything took a more serious turn for us. “Comando con Venezuela in Chile” a leading Venezuelan community organization in Chile, associated with the opposition to the Maduro Regime in Venezuela, is currently discerning with lawyers who are experts in International Law, whether to bring the case of hate, hostility, scapegoating, stereotyping, exclusion and xenophobia against Venezuelan migrants in Chile, to the Interamerican Court for Human Rights. They have appealed to the Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, to confront these xenophobic campaigns against us, Venezuelans in Chile.
This organisation claims that in social media and other media campaigns, Venezuelan migrants are being scapegoated for all the problems in Chilean society, such as unemployment, lack of security due to the increase in crime and the overloading of public health, education and housing services, especially in socio-economically poor areas. It is easy to scapegoat us, Venezuelan migrants, and other migrants for all of Chile’s problems!
Many stories are circulating from different migrant nationalities. Still, it is we Venezuelans in particular, out of all migrant groups, who have had to adapt and create a defensive shield every time we leave home and go out in public, visit different places, or even take a trip on public transport. The geographical area one travels through or lives in also plays a role, as areas can differ in their reactions to migrants, with some being worse than others.
One hears of many cases of bullying in schools, workplace abuse and discrimination against us Venezuelans. Even Venezuelan Uber drivers, delivery service drivers, or supermarket cashiers can all suffer abuse and disrespect for merely being Venezuelan.
Psychological Impact of Xenophobia, Hate and Racism against Venezuelans in Chile
The increase in xenophobia in Chile has led to a sense of social exclusion and segregation, with limited opportunities for integration for us Venezuelans. One can feel a sense of isolation, not belonging, and not feeling welcome. This wears down one’s physical, psychological and emotional health.
According to a report by psychologists, the psychological impact of xenophobia includes problems with one’s mental health, an increase in stress levels and anxiety. It can lead to lower self-esteem, depression, insomnia, fatigue, irritability and panic attacks.
Because of the fear of being abused or assaulted, we Venezuelans and other migrants must stay highly alert whenever we leave home, at work, or at school, which makes it hard to relax or feel safe. It can be difficult for us to leave home, apply for jobs, or engage with the public in work situations.
A positive contribution to Chile
It is important, however, not to generalise, because this hate and hostility are not the whole picture. Undoubtedly, many Chileans have received us, the Venezuelans, in a friendly and welcoming manner. We have formed many strong friendships with local people. There are many cases of marriage between Chileans and Venezuelans. It seems to be a small minority of people, manipulated by social media and political campaigns, that stereotype, scapegoat and spread hate and xenophobia, rather than the majority of people.
Also, the next generation of Venezuelan children and adolescents raised in Chile is excelling with the highest academic performance in both public and private schools and also in universities. In the professional sphere, Venezuelan professionals are highly praised in management positions for their professional ethics, as are Venezuelan doctors for their patient care. Many Venezuelans have begun many small businesses, including restaurants, corner stores and food delivery services.
A nation divided by the migration issue – hostility and xenophobia
At the same time, we must remember there are small groups who are responsible for creating the myth that native Chileans are becoming unemployed because Venezuelans and other migrant nationalities are taking all the jobs.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and with the migrant issue, opinions will always be divided. However, I know from personal experience as a Venezuelan in Chile how unpleasant it is to be disrespected and belittled because of the country you come from, or because you speak Spanish with a different accent, or because you are constantly trying to stay positive or aim for better goals at work while working as part of a team rather than alone.
I also know from personal experience how difficult it becomes when those in authority in the workplace, who should help and deal with the problem of discrimination and prejudice, only say that we Venezuelans are exaggerating the problem. They turn a blind eye to the situation!
Support needed for the Venezuelan community
We Venezuelans and other nationalities still urgently need a lot of assistance. We require support to counter all the negative publicity caused by a small minority of Venezuelan criminals, which unfairly groups all of us Venezuelans into the same criminal category. A tiny number of criminal Venezuelans have tarnished the reputation of the rest of us.
This, of course, is an advantage for those xenophobic, hostile elements in society opposed to migration, who like to generalise and exaggerate the criminality of a few Venezuelans, blowing it well out of proportion, in social media, other media and in politics. It is a terribly unjust exaggeration to label all of us Venezuelan migrants as criminals, due to a small number of us linked to criminal organisations. We are also victims of these crimes and suffer from criminal elements. We need support for Venezuelan families who require decent places to rent without facing judgement or being denied housing because they’re not Chilean.
We Venezuelans need to be welcomed and supported in parishes and other community organisations. Parishes, including Columban parishes, need to begin to speak up and counter anti-migrant, anti-Venezuelan xenophobia amongst parishioners. There are special programmes available to counter xenophobia, which should be incorporated into parish liturgies, sacramental and catechetical programmes, youth groups, etc. Columban parishes need to pull their weight in countering anti-Venezuelan xenophobia in their parishes. They cannot turn a blind eye to this situation.
We Venezuelans in Chile need to experience openness and emotional support, where we feel welcome and are treated with respect and dignity as brothers and sisters. We need opportunities for better education and job skills training, all as part of our social integration.
We have travelled 5000 kilometres from Venezuela to Chile, with some of us walking all the way through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, in order to work and live here with dignity and create a positive future for the next generation. In this way, we wish to contribute to Chilean society.
Some of us live in a legal limbo
Out of total and utter desperation, many of us Venezuelans and other nationalities have had to enter Chile from Bolivia through unauthorised high mountain passes. There are more than 320,000 of us migrants in Chile who are undocumented, who are irregular.
Many of these undocumented migrants therefore avoid social services and medical and educational assistance available in Chile, out of fear of being reported and deported. They live in a legal limbo, without the possibility of a work contract, full access to health and education, and the public housing programme. Many simply survive in illegal, precarious shanty towns on the edges of large cities, exploited at work or engaged in the informal economy.
Chile’s new Immigration Law states that the visa process must be started outside of Chile with all the correct documents, which can often be very difficult to obtain. As a result, migrants now need to arrive in Chile with their visas already approved. When people are living in severe poverty, struggling with hunger, lack of medicines, electricity, and unemployment, it’s hard to imagine such desperate individuals being able to afford a costly visa application process.
Prior to the promulgation of this law, undocumented migrants upon arrival in Chile could register and begin their regularisation process. In this way, hundreds of thousands of migrants have received legal status in Chile. This supportive door closed, however, with the new Immigration Law in May 2022.
Now there is no way for undocumented migrants to regularise their situation in Chile without leaving the country to initiate the process, which can take several months and costs thousands of dollars in travel and lodging. Money, which of course, very few have! And for us Venezuelans and some other nationalities, our applications can be easily rejected by the Chilean Migration Service for merely being Venezuelan and poor.
Conclusion
It seems to me that the increase in xenophobia and hostility to us Venezuelans in Chile is a combination of social media, legacy media and political manipulation upon sections of the population who themselves feel abandoned and left behind by the massive social and economic changes taking place all around them. These social and economic changes are evident in their neighbourhood, commercial centres, schools, health care centres and sporting organisations. We, Venezuelans and other nationalities, are easy targets to blame for the turmoil and confusion caused by these social changes.
As a Catholic and as a Venezuelan migrant, I look to the Catholic Church and its parishes to continue to welcome the exiles, those discriminated against, the marginalised and the poor, most of whom are migrants, as it always has through history. Unfortunately, some parishioners, even in Columban parishes, have absorbed some of this negative anti-Venezuelan attitude from social media, legacy media, and political campaigns, attitudes that run rampant through local neighbourhoods, schools, neighbourhood centres, and healthcare centres.
I recall St Toribio Romo for his support of Mexican migrants, St John Baptist Scalabrini for his commitment to migrants and Mother Cabrini for her work protecting and defending Italian migrants in the United States. And I recall our late Holy Father, Pope Francis, who, until his last days, spoke of migrants, lamenting the contempt directed towards the marginalised, the vulnerable, the migrants. I remember his call for welcome, support and help for us migrants.