ORLANDO, Fla. – While captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro remained defiant as he entered a “not guilty” plea in federal court Monday, Venezuelans in Central Florida were pondering what the future may hold for their native country.
“I just want my country to be free from this crisis,” said Elio Medina. “It’s been 25 years struggling with them. And finally, we have a window open.”
As the manager at Nando Grill in Orlando, Medina has been in the United States for four years. Before his arrival here, he spent four years in Argentina following his departure from Venezuela.
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“Everything got worse when [Maduro] took power,” Medina said.
Speaking to News 6 shortly before opening for the day Monday, Medina said that his family is still in Venezuela.
“Are they excited that Maduro is no longer there?” News 6’s Mike Valente asked Medina.
“Of course they are,” Medina said with a smile. “Everybody’s excited.”
Over at Da Silva Steakhouse, a projector displayed the words “Que Viva Venezuela Libre.”
“Yeah,” Abdonis Orenze, a server there, said. “‘Free Venezuela.’”
[WATCH: Floridians split as some protest, others celebrate Maduro’s capture]
Orenze has been in the United States since 2021, having declared asylum from Venezuela.
“You saw people eating from garbage cans,” Orenze said, describing conditions under Maduro’s government. “All the police are crooked. They stop you for anything.”
Although both Medina and Orenze acknowledge there is a lot of uncertainty about what comes next, they are confident in their belief that Delcy Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting leader Monday, is not the solution.
“She’s part of them,” Orenze said of the Maduro regime.
News 6 reporter Mike Valente also asked Orenze if he is comfortable with the United States having a role in dictating Venezuela’s future, citing President Trump’s comments that his administration would be “running” the country.
“One hundred percent,” Orenze said. “I mean, we’ve tried for so many years. And we hadn’t made it happen. We don’t mind taking outside help.”
Valente followed up: “What would you say to critics who saw last weekend’s events as an illegal military intervention?”
“It might’ve been illegal,” Orenze responded. “But [the critics] are not Venezuelan.”