Florida mayor says Maduro capture a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ as Venezuelan Americans celebrate
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Venezuelan Americans erupted in celebration following news that Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro had been captured by the U.S. military, with a local leader saying the moment signals renewed hope for democracy after decades of authoritarian rule.
The reaction was especially visible in Doral, Florida, where roughly 40% of residents are of Venezuelan origin and many others are Cuban. Families who fled socialist dictatorships expressed optimism about Venezuela’s future and the possibility of broader stability in the Western Hemisphere.
One man thanked President Donald Trump and the military, “because, thanks to them and the power of them, we are free. Viva Venezuela libre!”
People react to news of the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in Doral, Fla., on Jan. 3, 2026. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images)
“I’ve seen my dad cry three times in my life,” another woman said. “His dad dying, Fidel dying and today. And I think it is just the time to be here. It’s historic.”
Doral Mayor Christi Farga told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday that many of her constituents “fled oppression, coming here to find safety, freedom.”
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“People here are happy. We have a big immigrant community, a big portion of them being Venezuelan, Cuban, who have lived through these dictatorships basically their whole lives.”
Nicolás Maduro gestures next to his wife, Cilia Flores, as they leave the Capitolio, home of the Venezuelan National Assembly, after taking the oath of office during the presidential inauguration in Caracas on Jan. 10, 2025. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)
“Yesterday, they were feeling justice served… there were a lot of people who were cheering, happy,” she continued. “They’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after 27 years of oppression and watching their country deteriorate under this regime.”
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The mayor said some Doral residents escaped Venezuela when Hugo Chávez rose to power in 1999, while others arrived in recent years as conditions worsened under Maduro.
“This very rich country had very many opportunities and resources, and the people have been deprived of that,” Fraga said, describing conditions of poverty in Venezuela. “They’ve come here looking for that opportunity for their children.”
“Many of them are excited, though, to be able to go back and rebuild in their country,” she added.
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Fraga hopes Maduro’s ouster will resonate beyond Venezuela’s borders.
“Hopefully it will continue, and we will see a ripple into Cuba and Nicaragua. We’ll start to see stabilization in the Western Hemisphere.”
