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Colombia/Venezuela: Whether a person can have dual citizenship (Colombian and Venezuelan), regardless of which country they reside in; circumstances in which Venezuelan nationality can be lost (1992-2002)

The information that follows was provided by a consular officer at the Embassy of Colombia during a 4 November 2002 telephone interview.

Colombia allows dual nationality, irrespective of which country the other nationality is from, and irrespective of where the Colombian national lives. Colombia has allowed dual nationality in this way since 1991, when the constitution was changed.

The information that follows was provided by consular staff at the Embassy of Venezuela in Ottawa during telephone interviews on 14 November 2002.

Venezuela has allowed dual nationality since 1999, after a new constitution was adopted. Before 1999, Venezuela did not allow dual nationality. A person cannot lose Venezuelan nationality, and could not lose it before 1999 either, by residing outside Venezuela for any period of time; only foreigners with Venezuelan resident status could lose that status (now and before 1999) by residing continuously for more than two years outside Venezuela.

Before 1999, a Venezuelan who acquired another nationality was considered to have "provided cause for loss" of Venezuelan nationality (incursa en causal de pérdida). However, this did not lead to automatic loss of Venezuelan nationality; in practice, many people held Venezuelan and a second nationality without ever losing either, and the new (1999) Constitution simply acknowledged and legalized what was a fairly widespread practice. If acquisition of another nationality was reported to Venezuelan authorities, there could have been an investigation that could have led to loss of Venezuelan nationality; however, even if authorities had been notified and had acted on a case of dual nationality, it would have required an official decree to actually deprive a person of his or her Venezuelan nationality.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Colombia. Embassy of Colombia, Ottawa. 4 November 2002. Telephone interview with consular officer.

Venezuela. Embassy of Venezuela, Ottawa. 14 November 2002. Telephone interviews with consular staff.