Celebrations continued across South Florida Sunday night for Venezuelans with deep ties to the region, following the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
While the crowd was smaller and calmer than the night before, the emotions remained intense.
Flags from across Latin America waved in the air as many said they were still processing news they had waited decades to hear.
“When I woke up, I said, ‘It happened. It really happened,'” said Maria Sanson, a Venezuelan American. “I couldn’t believe it. Finally. I was jumping up and down for two hours.”
Maduro’s capture came amid heavy gunfire and helicopter activity in Caracas, scenes that rattled families watching from afar. Kelly Rojas said her relatives in Venezuela called her in shock as events unfolded.
“They told me they were terrified of everything that was going on, especially the first few hours,” Rojas said. “But now they’re feeling more hopeful, just waiting for the next step.”
Among those gathered Sunday night were members of Vente Venezuela, the political movement aligned with opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Maria Teresa Moreno, director of Vente Miami, said the moment could have implications beyond Venezuela’s borders.
“The liberation of Venezuela may also represent the liberation of Nicaragua and Cuba, Colombia — all of the region that has been victims of these evil projects spread across the continent,” Moreno said.
For many Venezuelans in South Florida, Saturday’s events reopened dreams of returning home one day.
“So finally, finally it happened,” Sanson said. “And then we’re like, ‘Okay, I have to be here to celebrate.'”
As celebrations continue in Doral, many say the focus is now shifting from celebration to what comes next — and what this historic moment could mean for Venezuela’s future.
