The South Florida Venezuelan community celebrated the recent capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro by U.S. authorities. Maduro, along with his wife Cilia Flores, is currently being held in a federal jail in New York City after being removed from Caracas to face drug trafficking charges.
Venezuela, once a prosperous nation due to its oil wealth, has faced significant economic decline since the election of Hugo Chavez in 1998. The nationalization of industries and government control over sectors such as oil, telecommunications, electricity, and food production led to widespread mismanagement and corruption. These issues continued under Maduro’s leadership, resulting in severe inflation and shortages that forced nearly eight million people to leave the country.
Brian Fonseca, director of Florida International University’s Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, commented on the initial celebrations in South Florida following Maduro’s removal. “Someone who has been an architect of violent repression against Venezuelans, who has forced millions of Venezuelans out of their homes, who has contributed to the rapid decline and deterioration of Venezuela’s social, economic, political and security infrastructure,” Fonseca said.
Fonseca noted that despite Maduro’s departure, key elements of his regime remain in power. Reports indicate increased crackdowns within Venezuela on citizens suspected of supporting Maduro’s apprehension.
He described the operation as significant for both countries. The U.S., citing past nationalization moves as major losses for American businesses, is now negotiating to take control of and sell Venezuelan oil that was seized recently as part of efforts to pressure Maduro.
“The United States is saying, ‘Look, we’re going to keep the blockade in place.’ And why is that important for Venezuela? Well fundamentally, oil is Venezuela’s biggest source of revenue,” Fonseca explained. “The government needs oil revenue to survive, and the blockade is designed to strangle Venezuela economically.”
Fonseca outlined broader goals: “It is important for our community to understand this effort of reestablishing a ground game in Venezuela… putting diplomats back in Venezuela… moving the American private sector back… reestablishing military-to-military relations… looking at the prospects of beginning to develop a civil society.” He added that these steps are aimed at transitioning toward democracy within one or two years.
Fonseca also mentioned that U.S. actions have effectively excluded Russia and China from involvement in Venezuela’s oil sector.
South Florida hosts the largest Venezuelan community outside their home country. Florida International University (FIU) educates more than 800 students from Venezuela and employs many faculty and staff members with similar backgrounds.
Anthony Sleiman, senior communications manager at FIU’s Institute of Environment and a native Venezuelan who moved to the U.S. after his parents’ business was expropriated by the government, described ongoing hardships: “People cannot find food. There is no medicine. If you go to a hospital, there are no supplies.” He expressed hope: “After 25, 26 years of darkness, we have some light,” he said. “I would like to see a change. I would like to see the country getting better.”
Jonathan Ruadez from Stempel College noted uncertainty among Venezuelans both locally and abroad about what comes next: “I have no clue what’s going to happen.” He acknowledged some disappointment that opposition leader María Corina Machado was not installed as president but recognized that her lack of military support made it unfeasible: “The opposition has the support of the people… but not the forces.”
Fernanda Castaneda, an English major at FIU who arrived nine years ago with her family from Venezuela, shared mixed feelings about current events: “At the beginning we were all a little shocked and kind of happy… But he’s not being judged for the crimes he committed against Venezuela. He’s being judged because of his narco-trafficking implications… I guess we don’t know how to feel.”
