Hundreds of people gathered Saturday at El Arepazo Corner on 58th Street in Doral, a well-known gathering place for South Florida’s Venezuelan community, to celebrate the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. The celebration followed a 4 a.m. announcement by President Donald Trump, prompting supporters to arrive as early as dawn and continue gathering throughout the day.
For many Venezuelans, the moment carried deep emotional weight.
“The first thing I did was call everyone back home to let them know,” said Claudia González, originally from the Falcón state in northwestern Venezuela. “We had been waiting for this moment for many years. This is for those who resisted and those who died and couldn’t see this happening.”
Music, Venezuelan flags and even pets filled the area as the community expressed what they called a long-overdue sense of justice.
“I feel so happy and proud,” said David Aguilar, a Venezuelan from Trujillo. “This is something so fulfilling for us.”
Although Venezuelans led the celebration, the gathering drew support from other communities as well, including Cubans, Nicaraguans and Americans.
Orianna Curuzzo, an American attendee, said the event reflected international solidarity.
“I’m American myself, but I’m super proud of the United States for helping with the Venezuelan crisis right now,” Curuzzo said. “It’s great to see the amount of people here, not only from the United States, but from all over the world, supporting the Venezuelan community.”
While no formal announcements have been made, attendees said they expect more gatherings in the coming days following Maduro’s federal court appearance in New York, during which he pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges.
