Bureaucratic Barriers Block Aid to Luso-Venezuelans
Aid from Portugal is failing to reach the Luso-Venezuelan community due to crippling bureaucratic hurdles and banking issues, warned Eurico Brilhante Dias, the president of the Socialist Party (PS) parliamentary group, during a high-profile visit to Caracas on Thursday.
Following a visit to “Regala Una Sonrisa” (Give a Smile), an NGO providing lifeline support to impoverished Portuguese and local Venezuelans, Dias highlighted a breakdown between consular services and those in desperate need. “It is evident that the support from consular services to the community is not arriving; there are significant difficulties in making it reach its destination,” he told Lusa News Agency.
Banking Bottlenecks and Elder Care
According to Dias, the problem is largely logistical. Many Portuguese citizens in Venezuela are struggling to access essential social support funds because of operational issues with Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD). The lack of access to basic banking instruments, such as debit cards, has left many vulnerable residents unable to withdraw or use the resources allocated to them.
“This community is aging and requires robust social support,” Dias noted. “Currently, that support is meager and scarce. We must do more—that is the main takeaway from our visit.”
A Diplomatic Signal of Protection
Dias is currently in Venezuela as part of a four-day delegation alongside PS Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro and Paulo Pisco, head of the Portuguese Communities department. The group aims to meet with local authorities and the sprawling Portuguese diaspora, which remains one of the largest and most influential in the country.
“Portugal must send a diplomatic signal of proximity to its community to protect it during these challenging times,” Dias said. He confirmed the delegation will report their findings directly to the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the wider Portuguese Government upon their return.
Push for a Portuguese School in Caracas
Beyond social aid, the delegation identified a significant gap in cultural and educational infrastructure. While Portuguese is a dominant language of the “Global South,” Dias described the current educational efforts in Venezuela as “clearly insufficient.”
A primary goal for the Socialist Party moving forward will be the establishment of a dedicated Portuguese school in the capital. “The children and grandchildren of the Portuguese here would like to have a Portuguese school in Caracas,” Dias stated, comparing the proposal to existing Portuguese schools in Luanda, Maputo, and Praia. “Given its size and importance, the community deserves this investment. This is a commitment the Socialist Party will bring to the Assembly of the Republic.”
The delegation also visited the Central University of Venezuela to discuss the reinstatement of a Portuguese university chair, emphasizing that language remains a vital link for the diaspora to maintain its identity.
Image: Pexels – August de Richelieu
