There’s a serious lack of food and electricity. What more can be said?
The Venezuelan community in Los Angeles holds onto hope as recent news emerged that the Trump administration has detained Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, this past weekend.
Carlos, an Uber driver originally from Venezuela, shared with the Post, “Life there was just miserable—no food, gas, or electricity. It was all pretty terrible.”
He has family back home and chose to remain anonymous given the circumstances. Carlos expressed relief at learning about Maduro’s arrest on drug-related charges, sharing, “At one point, I actually went three days without eating.”
Another Venezuelan, wishing to remain unnamed for similar reasons, echoed this sentiment, stating that the ousted leader “truly deserves to be behind bars, just like President Maduro.”
He recounted his own harrowing experience of being imprisoned and tortured for protesting the government in 2017. He added, “We’re all relieved that the U.S. is addressing Maduro’s many crimes.”
In L.A., there are about 30,000 Venezuelans, many of whom view this development as a new chance for their homeland while officials like Mayor Karen Bass described it as a “reckless decision.”
In a statement, Bass said, “Engaging with Venezuela to remove Maduro could lead the U.S. into chaos and conflict—something no one wants.”
Though Bass has a history connected to Cuba—working with the Venceremos Brigades, which united radical activists with the Cuban government—her perspective may be colored by that experience.
She visited Cuba several times in the 1970s, discussing her involvement in house-building and cultural events. In a 2020 Atlantic article, she acknowledged a lack of freedoms in Cuba compared to the U.S.
Her comments following Fidel Castro’s death in 2016, where she called him “Commander Jefe” and noted his passing was a significant loss for Cubans, raised eyebrows.
Bass later clarified her stance, stating she recognized Castro’s regime as “brutal.”
Protests against the Trump administration’s actions have spread across the U.S., including a rally in Los Angeles titled “Hands Off Venezuela.”
Felix, a local resident from Venezuela’s oil-rich regions, believes many people misinterpret the implications of removing Maduro.
“Regular folks are searching through trash for food. In Venezuela, you can get imprisoned for a simple Instagram post,” he remarked.
The Trump administration aims to temporarily manage Venezuela and its oil resources, but Felix insists these resources won’t be beneficial to Venezuelans themselves.
“That oil goes to Russia, Cuba, and Iran; it’s used to fund oppression. If the U.S. wants to take it, that’s fine, but we can’t endure worse conditions than we have for the past 27 years,” he noted.
Ronier, who fled to the U.S. at 18, conveyed a hopeful yet concerned outlook, stating, “The U.S. should return to Venezuela and arrest the remaining bad actors so we can rebuild.”
Delcy Rodríguez has been inaugurated as interim president. Known for her loyalty to the ruling party and connections within the private sector, Rodríguez, a labor lawyer, aims to “cooperate” with the Trump administration regarding “joint development.”
Carlos concluded with a note of urgency: “Unless we eliminate everyone tied to Maduro, the dictatorship will persist.”
