Emigration during the Hugo Chávez administration involved many Venezuelans, primarily upper-class and educated professionals, leaving Venezuela to live in other countries. This trend would increase throughout Chávez's tenure, later culminating in the Venezuelan refugee crisis. From the beginning to the end of Chávez tenure, it was estimated by the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) that 1.5 million Venezuelans (four to six percent of the country's total population) had emigrated. History Election of Chávez In 1998, when Chávez was first elected, 14 Venezuelans were granted asylum in the United States; according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 1,086 Venezuelans were granted asylum in the 12-month period ending in September 1999. Chávez's detractors said that they were concerned with his "history of violence" – leading a failed military coup d'état attempt. His promises to allocate more funds to the impoverished also concerned wealthy and middle-class Venezuelans, triggering the first wave of emigrants fleeing the Bolivarian government. 2002 coup d'état attempt After the coup d'état attempt in April 2002 and years of political tension following Chávez's rise to power, Venezuela experienced a spike in emigration. A May 2002 cable from the United States embassy in Caracas to United States agencies expressed astonishment at the number of Venezuelans attempting to enter the United States. By June of that year, many Venezuelans with family or links to other countries had emigrated; others, who had immigrated to Venezuela, began to leave due to economic and political instability. Re-election of Chávez Following the 2006 presidential elections and Chávez's re-election, visits to emigration websites by Venezuelans increased; visits to MeQuieroIr.com (Spanish: I want to leave) rose from 20,000 in December 2006 to 30,000 in January 2007, and there was a 700 percent increase in visa applications from Venezuelans at vivaenaustralia.com. Causes Chávez's promise to allocate more funds to the impoverished concerned wealthy and middle-class Venezuelans, triggering the first wave of emigrants fleeing the Bolivarian government. Later in his tenure, Chávez would seize private property and target political opponents, sparking increased uneasiness and ultimately emigration. Andrés Bello Catholic University Economic and Social Research Institute head Anitza Freitez stated that during the Chávez presidency, "individual development prospects and individual security" were the main causes of emigration from Venezuela. Deterrents Venezuelans also chose not to emigrate during the Chávez administration; an increased emigration rate was prevented due to deterrents. Though Venezuelans faced increased unrest later in Chávez's tenure, they were also