Source:[2] Apparently, one of the first Greeks to arrive in the country was "Juan El Griego" to Margarita Island, and "Kalimios" in 1922, who founded the company of "Ferry-Boats" in Maracaibo Lake.
These Greeks came to the country primarily for economic reasons, attracted by newscasts, written advertisements and films in which they talked about Venezuela, oil and the need for immigrants to agricultural and industrial activities.
To practice their religion, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America asked to assign them a representative, which achieved in 1956 and built a small chapel in 1961, which runs until the start of construction of the current Byzantine Cathedral (opened in February 1992 ).
Religion is passed through oral tradition and family daily contact through the calendar of festivals in the community -which is largely religious- and classes taught at the Greek school.
[citation needed] In 1957, for the first time, a melkite pope of the Society of the Missionaries of St. Paul, Gabriel Dick, took pastoral care of the Greek community in the country.
The Apostolic Exarchate of Venezuela was erected on 19 February 1990 with the papal bull Quo longius of Pope John Paul II.
It has a bust of Socrates raised on a pedestal and a plate with the data of its inauguration and the name of Plaza Atenas, in honour of Athens and the Greek community in Venezuela.