Name: Venezuelans in Utah react with hope, concern after Maduro capture
Uploaded: 2026-01-05T02:30:02.635Z
Duration: 2 min 2 s
Description: Venezuelans in Utah react with mix of hope, concern after Maduro capture

Venezuelans in Utah react with mix of hope, concern after Maduro capture

Utah

Utah's Venezuelan community has responded with a mix of hope and apprehension following the U.S. military strike in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. While some community members express optimism about the prospect of democracy and freedom in their homeland, others voice concern for the safety of innocent civilians affected by the conflict.

Community leaders, such as Mayra Molina of the Venezuelan Alliance of Utah, celebrate the event as a long-awaited step toward change, but also acknowledge the pain and fear still present among Venezuelans. The community remains divided over the strike, with some seeing it as the only remaining option after years of failed negotiations.

Venezuelans in Utah react with hope, concern after Maduro capture

And this is something that we as Venezuelans have been waiting for a long time. Early Saturday morning, the U.S. launched a strike into Venezuela to capture President Nicolas Maduro. We're closer to liberty. Reports say there are mixed feelings about the U.S.'s large-scale strike. I spoke with Utahns from the Venezuelan community about what they're thinking. You know, bombs falling in the sky of Caracas, which is a beautiful city. As a Venezuelan, it was a mix of emotions that came through, thinking, like, what's going to happen, you know, with the innocent people. I met with Alexis Pereira at his restaurant in Magna. His daughter, Ariana, translated for us. He's happy that we can be closer to freedom. They tell me there's anticipation for democracy in Venezuela. It's a sign of hope. But the strike was hard to watch. Which is the capital of Venezuela was bombarded last night in strategic places as well. And that was the plan so they can enter the country and put in jail, you know, Maduro. Mayra Molina, the executive director for the Venezuelan Alliance of Utah, is celebrating Maduro's capture. We can believe it. It's been more than 35 years fighting for this. And when people say Venezuela didn't fight enough, we have more than 500,000 people killed. But she knows some of the community is hurting. And I know it could be a lot of people against it, but we feel that we didn't have any more options. Because it was so many times that we attempted to have conversations and to have some deals. There is also maybe some aspects of fear as well, because it's still unstable. Molina says it's time for democracy in Venezuela. Justice in Venezuela can go back to a democracy, to freedom, to love for all of the Venezuelan people. In Salt Lake City, Avery Planowski, FOX 13 News, Utah.

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