DORAL, Fla. (AP) 鈥� Revelers chanted 鈥渓iberty鈥� and draped Venezuelan flags over their shoulders in South Florida on Saturday to celebrate the to capture Nicol谩s Maduro and remove him from the country 鈥� a stunning outcome they had longed for but left them wondering what comes next in their troubled homeland.
For some Venezuelan natives, the military action 鈥� culminating months of stepped-up U.S. pressure 鈥� brought their dreams of reuniting with loved ones closer to reality after years of heartbreaking separations.
People gathered for a rally in Doral 鈥� the Miami suburb where President Donald Trump has a golf resort and where roughly half the population is of Venezuelan descent 鈥� as word spread that Venezuela’s now-deposed president had been captured and flown out of the country.
Outside El Arepazo restaurant, a hub of the Venezuelan culture of Doral, one man held a piece of cardboard with 鈥淟ibertad鈥� scrawled with a black marker. It was a sentiment expressed by other native Venezuelans hoping for a new beginning for their home country as they chanted 鈥淟iberty! Liberty! Liberty!”
“We鈥檙e like everybody 鈥� it鈥檚 a combination of feelings, of course,” said Alejandra Arrieta, who came to the U.S. in 1997. “There鈥檚 fears. There鈥檚 excitement. There鈥檚 so many years that we鈥檝e been waiting for this. Something had to happen in Venezuela. We all need the freedom.鈥�
Some Venezuelan exiles feel hopeful after US actions
For David Nu帽ez, the regime change offered hope for a long-awaited reunion with loved ones.
Nu帽ez said he fled to the United States six years ago after being persecuted in Venezuela for his political activism and has not seen his daughters 鈥� ages 8 and 17 鈥� since then.
鈥淭he most important thing is that we鈥檙e going to be able to be with our families soon,鈥� Nu帽ez said. 鈥淎t least for me, I haven鈥檛 seen my daughters in six years so I have a lot of mixed feelings. I鈥檝e cried a lot. I鈥檓 really happy because I know that I鈥檓 going to be able to return to Venezuela very soon.鈥�
Trump insisted Saturday that the U.S. government would at least temporarily and was already doing so. The action marked the culmination of an escalating Trump administration pressure campaign on the oil-rich South American nation as well as weeks of planning that tracked Maduro鈥檚 behavioral habits.
After Trump鈥檚 press conference about U.S. actions in Venezuela, people still gathered outside of the Doral restaurant sang, danced and waved flags. A percussionist drummed along with the singing crowd.
People started gathering outside the restaurant once the news broke. Cooks were told to stay and prepare more food for anticipated high demand. Hundreds showed up, and the crowd kept growing as the day went on.
Some say Maduro’s ouster was long awaited
Alexa Perez said she has waited year for this moment.
鈥淭hanks, President Trump. This is our second liberty. This our independence day from today on,鈥� Perez said.
She married a week ago and said the news was the 鈥渂est wedding gift鈥� possible.
Her husband, Aldo Amenta, said they were scared, excited and confused at first and felt better when they learned their family members were safe.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really happy and excited that the doors are open for Venezuela, for all of our people who deserve a chance,鈥� Amenta said.
Perez responded positively to apparent U.S. plans to run Venezuela at least temporarily and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations, saying her homeland has not received anything from Russia, Iran and China.
鈥淲e are very poor, we have no hospital, we have no rights for our people,鈥� Perez said. 鈥淪o I think this is going to be a great transition. Because once you know how the U.S. works, you know that everything can work better.鈥�
The Venezuelan diaspora grew over decades
About 8 million people have since 2014, settling first in neighboring countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. After the COVID-19 pandemic, they increasingly set their sights on the United States, walking through the jungle in Colombia and Panama or flying to the U.S. on humanitarian parole with a financial sponsor.
In South Florida, deep-seated concerns in the Venezuelan community about Trump’s tough gave way to celebrations after Maduro was deposed in the American military operation early Saturday.
In Doral, upper-middle-class professionals and entrepreneurs came to invest in property and businesses when socialist Hugo Ch谩vez won the presidency in the late 1990s. They were followed by political opponents and entrepreneurs who set up small businesses. In recent years, more lower-income Venezuelans have come for work in service industries.
They are doctors, lawyers, beauticians, construction workers and house cleaners. Some are naturalized U.S. citizens or live in the country illegally with U.S.-born children. Others overstay tourist visas, seek asylum or have some form of temporary status.
鈥楴ot a guarantee, but a possibility, for recovery鈥�
Niurka Mel茅ndez, who fled from Venezuela in 2015, said Saturday she鈥檚 hopeful that Maduro鈥檚 ouster will improve life in her homeland. Mel茅ndez immigrated to New York City, where she co-founded the group Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, which strives to empower the lives of immigrants. She became a steadfast advocate for change in her home country, where she said her countrymen faced a humanitarian crisis.
Now, she hopes those hardships will fade away.
鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 just the start of the justice we need to see,鈥� Mel茅ndez said in a phone interview.
Her homeland had reached a 鈥渂reaking point鈥� due to forced displacements, repression, hunger and fear, she said. Now there’s a need for international humanitarian support to help in Venezuela’s recovery.
鈥淩emoving an authoritarian system responsible for these crimes creates the possibility, not a guarantee, but a possibility, for recovery,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 future without criminal control over institutions is the minimum condition for rebuilding a country based on justice, rule of law, and democratic safeguards.鈥�
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Schreiner reported from Shelbyville, Kentucky.
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