“They use us. Some use us as pawns in political schemes and others as collateral damage.”
This is Adelis Ferro, who works for an NGO defending immigration rights in Venezuela, summarizing the sentiment of many Venezuelans living abroad after witnessing the war gestures between the president of Venezuela and the US president and the growing tension between Venezuela President Nicola Maduro to take on the magic.”
There is a thread connecting all the Venezuelans who spoke to Buenos Aires, Madrid and CNN in the US. They are far apart, but they are accompanied by fear and concern about what will happen in their country, where many of them still have families. And while they have not lost hope that the situation in Venezuela will improve, skepticism wins.
“I don’t think anything will change. As long as the military is there, they will support the Venezuelan government,” Perla tells CNN through the door to the workplace, a restaurant serving Venezuelan food in Buenos Aires.
Fear and skepticism
Sparring between the US and Venezuela is historic, but tensions began to escalate on August 7th. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced that he has doubled his compensation to $50 million for information that led to Maduro’s arrest.
The US has described Maduro as “one of the world’s biggest drug traffickers,” head of the Sands cartel and a threat to US national security.
Since then, US warships and military personnel have been deployed on the Venezuelan coast, and Maduro announced the deployment of troops and militias, calling for Venezuelans to join the Bolivar militia.
On Tuesday, the US also launched a fatal military strike against suspected drug containers related to the Tren de Aragua gang, Trump announced. The US president said 11 people were killed in the attacks on “International Water.”
“I don’t know what the US wants to do or what its intentions are,” says a young Venezuelan man who doesn’t like to give his name out of fear. He says he is worried about what will happen within the country and is afraid that Venezuelans will “pay for the consequences of the conflict” between Trump and Maduro.
“Because my relatives are there.
For another restaurant worker in Buenos Aires, it’s all about the US exerting “pressure” in Venezuela. She doesn’t think it will continue to escalate, but it doesn’t alleviate her concerns. This “reduces invasion and violence,” she says.
Ferro, co-founder and executive director of the Venezuelan-American Caucus, an NGO that advocates for the rights of immigration in Venezuela, says he is aware of many questions about what is actually happening between the two countries. She believes that many people don’t believe what the Trump administration is doing is not just “political propaganda” but also true action against drug trafficking that could lead to changes in Venezuela.
“This already happened in 2019,” Ferro says when Trump established a $15 million reward for information that led to Maduro’s arrest after then-hosted William Burr announced accusations of narcoterism and corruption against the president.
Jahaila Trevinho, a Venezuelan who currently lives in Madrid, lives with four children. She told CNN that she disagreed with the Maduro administration but distrusts the US government’s motives. “He’s behind Venezuela’s minerals, oil and all the natural resources,” she said of Trump.
Trevinho raises concerns about what will happen to the people of Venezuelans if the two governments clash and escalate into an armed conflict.
Andres Roa, also in Madrid, says he didn’t think he would have to leave after working in his country for many years, but he no longer sees how to stay in Venezuela.
He welcomes the fact that the US government is “fighting drug trafficking” in his country and does not believe there is a risk of US invasion.
“I know there’s a story about invading Venezuela, but I don’t think it’s happening like that,” he said.
“It’s difficult because we have more concerns every day,” says a young Buenos Aires student who has expressed concern about the crisis his family is experiencing domestically.
“I hope this intention is really to free the country. We’ve fought this battle for years,” she says.
Ferro noted that she saw “too many contradictory messages” in the actions of the US government, referring to this just days after the US and Venezuela held prisoner exchanges and resumed Venezuela’s oil exports through Chevron.
“The truth is, we’re not spareing and it’s very difficult to know that they’re playing with us all again,” she says.
Impact on Venezuela and Maduro
María Zurbarán has optimistic outlook. The young woman in her early 20s talks to CNN in Madrid and says her parents, like many of her fellow citizens, live in Venezuela. She also has relatives in the United States. This makes her closely follow the tensions between the two countries.
“We’re looking forward to it… What I love most is that Venezuela is free,” she said.
A few weeks ago, the Maduro government organized the date of registration for the Bolivar militia and announced the deployment of more than 4 million militia members across the country. “The empire does not touch the sacred soil of Venezuela.”
“Another propaganda stunt,” Ferro said of the Venezuelan government’s actions. She also feels that the US government is exploiting the pain and despair of Venezuelans.
From afar, these tensions seem far away, but Venezuelans live them every day with fear and uncertainty. Nevertheless, none of the Venezuelan CNNs said they had lost hope.
