All rights accorded by law to aliens are guaranteed, and if naturalized they are exempt from military duties, except only in case of foreign wars.
Special provisions were also made in behalf of individuals and companies organizing colonies for settlement in Venezuela.
The manner of making contracts with immigrants is carefully specified in the following manner:
(a) Those who purchase lands during the first two years of their settlement, shall not be bound to pay the price thereof until after the expiration of four years, counted from the day actual possession is taken. They can not dispose of the land, however, during this period.
(b) The title is not to be determined until the stipulated price is paid and the required cultivation and residence proved.
Special provisions and concessions were also made for the colonization of public lands by private individuals and companies.
There is an annual appropriation in the National Budget to promote this project. At the time of this writing, Mr. Simon Barcelo is in Europe, traveling through the different countries inducing immigrants to come, and acting as a forwarding agent. The result of his endeavors is being manifested in the increased number of immigrants arriving within recent months.
Venezuela's immigration is bound to increase in the future, for advertisement is bringing results. The subjoined statistics will show that this is not the only problem confronting the Government, for the balance of immigration and emigration is only slightly in favor of the former, as many Venezuelans leave the country yearly for the West Indies, the United States and Europe. Whereas before the war, the majority of the youths were educated in Europe, and travelers naturally sought Europe, difficulty of communication and transportation during the war turned the stream toward the United States, and the present popularity of Americans in Venezuela bids fair to perpetuate this condition of affairs.
| Year | Immigration | Emigration |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 8,273 | 7,233 |
| 1911 | 9,204 | 7,219 |
| 1912 | 9,615 | 7,981 |
| 1913 | 11,617 | 10,708 |
| 1914 | 10,610 | 9,742 |
| 1915 | 9,818 | 8,770 |
| 1916 | 8,596 | 7,639 |
| 1917 | 7,857 | 7,182 |
| 1918 | 6,153 | 5,841 |
| 1919 | 12,433 | 12,897 |