Comment by MYEUHD

The graph just after the paragraph you quoted contradicts it :)

It says the number of Venezuelans living abroad was 700,000 in 2015, and it skyrocketed from that point onward.

What happened around that time? - December 2014: Obama signed the first set of unilateral US sanctions on Venezuela - March 2015: Obama issued an executive order classifying Venezuela as an "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security of the United States"

Sure, there may have been slow migration before the sanctions, but it could have been explained by a multitude of reasons, not necessarily Chavismo. For example, the frequent U.S.-backed riots and coups are surely a factor that encourages migration. People value security and stability.