Which countries host the largest Venezuelan populations?

"About 8 million Venezuelans, or a quarter of the population, have fled their country in recent years. Al Jazeera takes a look at where they live now. After the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the United States on January 3, nearby countries that host large Venezuelan communities, including Colombia and Peru, have warned of a potential new influx of refugees if the country is distabilised. The Venezuelan diaspora remains one of the largest in the world with at least 7.9 million people"

"In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera unpacks where Venezuelans are living abroad, what protections they have and what the abilities are for Venezuelans wishing to travel. Venezuelan migration started with a small group of mostly professionals leaving the country after leftist leader Hugo Chavez became president in 1999, promising to change the old political system, which was stacked against the poor and the Indigenous people, with more than half of the population falling below the poverty line. During one decade of Chavez's rule,"

About 8 million Venezuelans have left their country, representing roughly a quarter of the population. The diaspora numbered at least 7.9 million people by early 2026, driven by nearly a decade of political and economic crises. Migration began after Hugo Chavez became president in 1999, with many early migrants being professionals. Chavez expanded oil-funded government spending and lifted millions from extreme poverty. After Chavez died in 2013, Nicolás Maduro inherited high debt and rising inflation. Falling oil prices by 2014 triggered economic collapse, deep depression and soaring inflation, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee, primarily to South and Central America and the US. By June, UNHCR tracked nearly 8 million refugees and migrants globally, with 6.7 million (85 percent) in Latin America.

Read at www.aljazeera.com