Three thousand Venezuelans denounced him in Spain to halt the payment of pensions
Written by Melissa Silva Franco / Correspondent from Spain
Monday, February 15th, 2010
Barcelona .- Not a single euro from the 300 who have become entitled to each month for 12 months. Given the lack of response have been organized, want to report the irregularity and they have formed the first association of pensioners abroad.
It is an umbrella group of about three thousand people, who for more than two decades working in Venezuela and now are not seeing the fruits of their contribution to the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (IVSS).

These people are waiting for a concrete answer. They presume that the current government seeks only to extend the time for not paying, even ¨ play that we get tired of waiting and no longer have our little money ¨ says Marina Teran, 71.

To Tehran, this situation is really unfair that although Spanish was in Venezuela for 25 years working there were born his children and grandchildren. ¨ There I left my youth, I respected the rules and paid monthly which corresponded to IVSS. Now that I'm sick to rest and I can not count those 300 euros ¨. Her family decided two years ago in Caracas to leave his life and resume their past in Malaga, with the fear that dominated their lives because of the high level of insecurity.

The Teran family case is repeated in more than three thousand cases of Venezuelan and Spanish who worked for over 20 years and now claim a right that has been considered blatantly violated.

¨ Here you can not live with 300 euros but at least we afford to buy medicines. It's our money. I feel very helpless read the news of how Chavez gives away millions of dollars to other countries when the Venezuelans have to pass an ordeal to collect an amount so small ¨ exposes Luisa de Perales, 67.

The stories of injustice as they are repeated between the families of pensioners. Most of these pensioners live in the Canary Islands, Galicia, Madrid and Andalucia.

"The silence is what hurts us most. Some are spending a lot of misery by not charging what is ours, "stresses from Tenerife Fernando G. Neither this canary than 70 years nor his wife claim the board since February.

"Erratic in income has always been the case, but this time too. There are nine months. Enough is enough. "


Fernando arrived in Venezuela for 15 years. He worked as an insurance agent in a subsidiary of AIG. His wife ran a clothing store in Caracas. The two returned to the Canaries in 2000 and now live a couple of rental apartments bought with the savings of a lifetime. But their pensions, or a euro. "I've seen tragic situations in the consulate. People who have become homeless and survives thanks to the soup kitchens.

Government Response

At the Consulate they seek help, they only provide the affected telephone number Carmen Arboleda, director of the Center for Pensions Abroad at the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (IVSS), a body under the Ministry of Popular Power for Work and Social Security and designated to handle pension payments. The official, apparently, not answers the phone.

Moreover, Ivan Lopez, one of those affected, said that the reason he argued the Venezuelan government to freeze the payment of pensions to applicants who live abroad, is that they supposedly have not submitted the required papers.

"It is the only official information given to us at consulates and government offices of Venezuela in Spain. But it is completely false, of which 95% of retirees who reside in this country has met each of the documentation requested by the government, even when not changed month to month, "Lopez said.

Jose Moises Fernandez believes that one reason is "the change in personnel that occurred in February in the department of pensions abroad. Chavez got the red shirts and are getting a hair to the elderly. "

These concerned insist that the only answer is that there continue to be sent to collect the necessary documents, but say it is not true and that it is just an excuse. All faiths have sent their living through the consulates or private couriers, but apparently not consular processed within the time required.

"This is coupled by resentment because the Venezuelan government in Spain does not want Chavez to power," said Fernandez.

Hot air

The last contact I had retired in Spain with a representative of the IVSS was in July 2009 when the Venezuelan charge of pensions abroad, Carmen Grove, had a brief meeting with some concerned and promised within 15 days would begin to charge. This has not happened.

"It's all broken promises," laments Francisco Martinez, 62 who in 1999 returned to Tenerife after 37 years working in Caracas with the promise that he and his wife would charge about 600 euros per month. Heart condition, his anguish is "total". "Chavez took me a farm, I froze the accounts in 2001 and now gives us the pension. We have only the help of my sister from the U.S. If you do not live in Spain, would be dead or in prison, "says the man who distributed cosmetics in her youth.

Mary Luz Ojeda Venezuelan also lives in Madrid, he wondered why the Banco Santander (where is your master account IVSS for pensions abroad) does not make the payments. Professor of Law at a Caracas university, its 61 years refuses to return to his country "because there is no personal security, political, or legal. How can I practice law without assurances?.

Political sector supports

The president of the Partido Popular de Tenerife, Cristina Tavio, required the authorities to "comply and ensure the rights of retired Venezuelan, now living in Spain, and spent a few months claiming that the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (IVSS ) their pensions. "

"We're talking about a weak group, which has no working age, many of them dependent and sick who can not enjoy the money he earned to trade on their country and who are doomed to seek help from their relatives and neighbors, or even organizations like Caritas and Red Cross to live, "the president of the PP in Tenerife.

Finally, Cristina Tavio, said "we hope this issue resolved as soon as possible, to take action on the matter, and that the competent authorities to seek to overcome these delays that hurt many Venezuelan citizens and Spanish.

The irregularities are unusual

When he reached the agreement with Banco Santander, Marina and Carlos Rengifo, a pair of concerned, gave a power to shut IVSS old bank accounts that received subsidies in Venezuela.

Shortly afterwards they began to receive payments in Spain, but the monthly accumulated in Caracas were never transferred nor the bill are already in Venezuela. Moreover, in February failed to receive their subscriptions.