Saturday morning came early for C.M.
About 1 a.m., friends of hers from college in Venezuela began frantically texting her that something was happening in her home country, which she had departed in October 2024 due to its leader, Nicolas Maduro.
She proceeded to the social media platform X and what she saw was astounding. There were helicopters and explosions over that nation’s capital, Caracas.
“My initial reaction was, ‘This is AI,’” said C.M., who lives in Oak Park with her parents. Wednesday Journal is choosing not to use her last name for her protection. “I started to watch more videos … This is actually happening.
“I assumed the helicopters were from the U.S. I waited, then my friends didn’t give me any updates, so I went to sleep.”
When she awoke at 6 a.m., her friends were excitedly sharing the news.
“They were laughing that Maduro had been captured,” she said. “They were happy. I was happy. So many years we’ve been waiting.”
Then the reality set in – happiness became shock, then uncertainty for C.M. and her parents.
“One thing happening is that Maduro (was) captured,” she said. “The government is still there and the people are still in power. How is that going to backfire for the people in Venezuela?”
Juan, another Venezuelan immigrant who has frequented the Migrant Ministry of the Catholic Parishes of Oak Park at St. Edmund School, agreed.
“As soon as we found out, we were able to notify our family members, since many were unaware of what had happened at that moment,” Juan said. Wednesday Journal is not using his real name for his protection. “For us, it was a moment of anxiety and uncertainty, thinking about all the things that could happen to the many people who were near the scene of the events.
“It was a moment of sadness, joy and great anxiety, just remembering everything that many Venezuelans have had to go through to keep fighting.”
Another Venezuelan immigrant who said she was “bewildered” by the events in her home country was Yevette. Wednesday Journal is also not using her real name for her protection.
Current conditions on the ground in Venezuela range from precarious to outright dangerous.
“I was talking to many of my relatives, and they say there’s a lot of tension, worry and fear among the people about the possibility of a second invasion,” she said. “There are police in the streets, and those who are there can’t talk about Maduro’s capture because they’ll be arrested. That’s the new law there, because they say it’s treason.
“Most businesses are closed because they are afraid, to put it more clearly, that they will be looted because there might be an uprising.”
C.M. said that civilians have to be wary of the collectivos, an informal group that supports the current regime that attacks people who do not support Maduro’s political party.
“People are happy this finally happened, but you can’t go out in the streets and celebrate,” she said. “It’s like a silent celebration.”
Yevette added that, “people are still imprisoned for thinking differently from Maduro’s regime. Many things happened, but I also have to say that the regime hasn’t fallen yet because some of them are still there. As long as they remain in power, Venezuela will not be free.”
Juan said there is disappointment among his family members in Venezuela about what happened.
“They simply believe it’s all a show orchestrated by the U.S., and they are disappointed because the same corrupt and drug-trafficking elite remains in power,” he said. “We want a transparent government that will end corruption, enact laws that are respected and remove from power those who have done so much to harm Venezuela.”
Yevette said the beacon of hope for Venezuelan immigrants locally has been the Migrant Ministry, known among them as Centro San Edmundo.
“Thanks to their generosity, many have found a home and unconditional support during these times of need,” she said. “Their commitment and dedication are a true gift to us and to all immigrants.”
C.M. not only participates in the Migrant Ministry, she is also a volunteer, working in the area of immigrant support services, filling out asylum applications.
Not only did the Migrant Ministry help her father with his own asylum application, it gave him something else.
“The courage to tell his story,” she said. “They have helped us build a community here and give us a hand. They have been a huge part of our journey here.”
