his is history in the making.
Let’s approach it with depth, not noise.
Here are four key insights you need to hear—from a Venezuelan perspective:
1) Nearly thirty years of suffering cannot be erased overnight.
For almost three decades, the Venezuelan people have endured torture, impunity, scarcity, and hunger.
Our elections were stolen.
Our dignity was stolen.
Even the color red was stolen—used and abused to indoctrinate an entire generation under the false guise of communism. Today, that color is being reclaimed as a symbol of resistance and love for our country.
More than eight million Venezuelans—one third of the population—were forced to leave, including me, my family, and most of my community.
Not by choice.
By survival.
2) This moment is not about politics. It’s about freedom.
The capture of Venezuela’s dictator by the United States feels like the beginning of the end of a long and painful agony.
This is not left versus right.
This is narco-dictatorship versus democracy.
3) Venezuelans are holding many emotions at once.
Right now, every Venezuelan is living a deeply complex emotional reality:
• Hopeful that Venezuela can once again become the great country it once was.
• Angry at the terror and destruction caused by the narco-terrorist regimes of Chávez and Maduro—regimes that murdered our people and created one of the largest refugee crises in modern history.
• Indignant and shocked by the careless opinions of those who have never lived under a brutal regime, yet feel entitled to comment as if their perspective carries weight in this moment.
4) Real life does not move at the speed of social media.
Feelings are not as radicalized as algorithms.
Do not believe every opinionated narrative you see online.
Ask a Venezuelan.
As much as we long to celebrate our freedom, we are not there yet.
If you know a Venezuelan—and you probably do, because we are millions scattered around the world—please:
Be patient.
Be empathetic.
Ask for their thoughts.
Ask for their perspective.
Listen to their stories.
They matter far more than anything you’ll see on the news.
And for God’s sake, hug them.
God bless America.
Viva Venezuela.
Viva la democracia y la libertad, por encima de todo.
Please share this with someone who needs to hear it.