PEWAUKEE — Leneida Gonzalez, a Pewaukee woman who fled Venezuela in 2018, said she is closely following developments in her home country after a U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday.
Gonzalez said she left Venezuela due to what she described as unsafe conditions for her and her family under the government that began with Hugo Chávez and continued under Maduro.
“26 years ago, this government came to power. It began separating families and freezing us in time. Professionals like myself and many others had to leave the country to save our lives, starting over from zero,” Gonzalez said, originally in Spanish, and translated to English.
Gonzalez said she worked as a history teacher and lawyer there.
“My life in Venezuela was wonderful,” Gonzalez said. “We did not migrate by choice — we did it out of necessity.”
She said the strikes in Venezuela on Saturday brought her “mixed emotions.”
“My call to Venezuelans is stay calm and stay safe at home,” she said. “This is not a time to celebrate. For me, it feels more like a deep breath — a big step.”
NBC News reported that, according to the White House, the military operation to remove Maduro will be followed by a U.S.-led transition process until elections are held.
At the same, some protesters in Milwaukee opposed the military action and questioned the lack of congressional approval.
Read more: Local protesters speak out to oppose U.S. military action in Venezuela
Responding to the operation, Gonzalez said she supports U.S. involvement and believes it could help Venezuelans who remain in the country, including friends and relatives.
“For me, of course, it’s good. After 26 years of suffering in exile, we’re seeing a change,” Gonzalez said.
Translation assistance provided by Daniela A. Gutiérrez Centeno.
This story was reported on-air by Kaylee Staral and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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