Venezuelans in South Florida celebrated Saturday after a U.S. military operation removed President Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela, with revelers in Doral chanting “liberty” and draping Venezuelan flags over their shoulders. People gathered as word spread that Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country, continuing the celebrations even after U.S. officials said the operation marked the end of Maduro’s rule.
The crowd assembled in Doral, a Miami suburb described as home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States. Some attendees said the military action brought them closer to long-held hopes of reuniting with relatives, particularly after years of separation driven by the pressures and instability they described back home.
Alejandra Arrieta, who came to the United States in 1997, said the experience reflected “a combination of feelings,” describing both fear and excitement. She told reporters that Venezuelans had waited for “this,” and said “We all need the freedom.”
David Nuñez, who left Venezuela for the United States six years ago after being persecuted for political activism, said he has not seen his daughters since then. He said, “The most important thing is that we’re going to be able to be with our families soon,” adding that he had “mixed feelings,” had cried “a lot,” but was “really happy” because he believed he would be able to return to Venezuela soon.
As the day unfolded, the rally outside El Arepazo—described as a hub of Venezuelan culture in Doral—kept drawing more people. Reports said cooks were told to prepare more food for anticipated demand once the news broke, and a percussionist played as the crowd sang, danced and waved flags following a U.S. announcement. Trump also said Saturday that the U.S. government would run Venezuela at least temporarily, culminating months of stepped-up U.S. pressure on the oil-rich South American country; MSI previously reported that Trump vowed to “run” Venezuela after the military operation ousted Maduro ….
Some attendees framed the moment as a long-awaited turning point. Alexa Perez said she had waited “year for this moment,” and she told reporters: “Thanks, President Trump. This is our second liberty. This our independence day from today on.” She said her marriage, announced just a week earlier, had turned into what she called the “best wedding gift” possible.
Perez’s husband, Aldo Amenta, said they were “scared, excited and confused” at first and that they felt better only after they learned family members were safe. He told reporters the days ahead could open opportunities, saying they were “really happy and excited that the doors are open for Venezuela, for all of our people who deserve a chance.”
Perez also responded positively to apparent U.S. plans for a temporary operation and to tap Venezuela’s oil reserves to sell to other nations. She said Venezuela had been left without hospitals and “no rights for our people,” arguing that a transition could improve conditions, and adding, “So I think this is going to be a great transition.”
The article also described how the Venezuelan diaspora has grown over decades, with reports citing that about 8 million people have fled the country since 2014. It said many initially settled in neighboring Latin American and Caribbean countries and later increasingly sought to reach the United States after the COVID-19 pandemic, including through humanitarian parole with a financial sponsor or by crossing through Colombia and Panama.
In South Florida, the report said some concerns about Trump’s tough immigration policies gave way to celebration when Maduro was deposed in the U.S. operation early Saturday. It described community history in Doral that included upper-middle-class professionals and entrepreneurs moving there after socialist Hugo Chávez won the presidency in the late 1990s, followed later by other Venezuelans starting businesses and taking service-industry jobs.
Niurka Meléndez, who fled Venezuela in 2015, said she was hopeful the ouster would improve life in her homeland. In a phone interview, she said it was “just the start of the justice we need to see,” describing her view that forced displacement, repression, hunger and fear had pushed Venezuela to a “breaking point.” She said the country’s recovery would require international humanitarian support and argued that “Removing an authoritarian system responsible for these crimes creates the possibility, not a guarantee, but a possibility, for recovery,” linking any rebuilding to justice, rule of law, and democratic safeguards.