Welcome to the Scottish Venezuelan Society

The Scottish Venezuelan Society was founded in the summer of 2007 following a visit to Scotland by Dr Rodrigo Chaves, then the Vice-Minister for Europe in the Foreign Ministry of the Venezuelan Government.

During that visit, Dr Chaves and his party met with Brian Wilson, a former UK Trade Minister and Energy Minister and they agreed to establish a Society with a view to developing a better mutual understanding and enhanced relationships at all levels between Scotland and Venezuela.

It was agreed that the long-standing existence of an Anglo-Venezuelan Society did not adequately reflect or promote friendship and understanding between the United Kingdom as a whole and Venezuela; and that the nature of the dominant commercial relationships between Venezuela and the UK made it particularly appropriate to establish a specifically Scottish-Venezuelan body. It was our shared view that it would be beneficial for Venezuela to have another friendly partner-organisation within the United Kingdom.

Subsequently, it was agreed that a Scottish Venezuelan Society would seek, in co-operation with Venezuelan partners, to develop a small range of projects within Venezuela which would be beneficial to communities and sectors which have some existing links with Scotland. The most obvious immediate area of co-operation – because it was already being promoted by the Scottish Arts Council – was through Il Sistema, with the Society giving support to the establishment of a Scottish pilot scheme, using Venezuelan tutors and expertise.

Subsequently, there have been extensive contacts between Venezuela and Scotland and it the purpose of the Society to ensure that these both widen and deepen, on the basis of mutual interest and respect.