User:John Nevard/History of the Jews in Venezuela

Some records discovered by historians studying the early history of the Jews in Venezuela suggest that a number of marranos, the descendants of baptized Jews believed to have retained Jewish tradition, were present in Caracas and Maracaibo from the mid-17th century. Other historians dispute that a permanent Jewish community existed before the early 19th century, though Jews from the nearby Dutch colony of Curaçao are presumed to have traded in Venezuelan ports.

As the 19th century began, the Spanish colonies in Hispanic America were fighting for independence from the Spanish monarchy. The Sephardic Jews of Curaçao, who were subject to persecution by the Spanish Inquisition, found common cause with independance leaders leaders like Simón Bolívar. Influential Jews from the Dutch colonies provided support to Bolívar, and when the constitution of the independant Venezualan nation allowed religious freedom Jewish communities were soon established.