Jon Aramburu: 'Venezuela has suffered greatly in recent years'

Venezuelan footballer Jon Aramburu has spoken candidly about the profound suffering his country has endured in recent years due to a severe crisis. "Venezuela has suffered a lot in recent years. There has been quite a crisis, and many people had to emigrate to seek a better situation. The quality of life dropped significantly," Aramburu stated in an interview with Spain's ABC newspaper.

Despite the hardships, Aramburu affirmed that he always speaks "marvels" of his homeland abroad. He recalled his childhood, describing Venezuela as a place with "maximum insecurity." He recounted how he and his sister would feel nervous when their parents went out at night, as "you couldn't go out on the street at night because you could be kidnapped. It was crazy. That's why many people left Venezuela; it was scary to live there."

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 7.9 million people in Venezuela required humanitarian aid by early 2026. The UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) platform for Venezuelan refugees and migrants (R4V) reported that at least 8.7 million Venezuelans have emigrated since the humanitarian crisis began.

Aramburu also addressed the impact of the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. "The reality is that the situation there remains bad. It will take a long time to rebuild," he asserted. The Venezuelan government's latest update, released two months after the natural disaster, recorded 6,509 deaths and 11,001 homes remaining in a "high-risk" state.

Reflecting on his career path, Aramburu noted that Venezuela's football level is lower than in Europe. After training in Deportivo La Guaira's youth divisions and winning the Liga Futve in 2021, he signed with Real Unión in Spain's third division. In 2023, Real Sociedad B signed him, and he debuted with the first team in November 2023. He has since played 108 matches across various competitions, including LaLiga, the Copa del Rey (which he won in 2026), and the Champions League. He also captained Venezuela in two of his 22 appearances for the senior national team since his 2023 debut. Aramburu expressed happiness at Real Sociedad, where he has a contract until 2030, highlighting the club's participation in European competitions and their Copa del Rey victory.