Tears of Hope Flood South Florida Streets After Maduro’s Arrest

By Brian Freeman
Sunday, 04 January 2026 09:57 PM EST

Florida Republican Rep. Maria Salazar described an emotional outpouring across her district in South Florida after news broke of Nicolás Maduro’s arrest, stating residents were experiencing “tears of joy and hope” following years of suffering under the Chávez-Maduro regime.

Salazar, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and chair of its Western Hemisphere subcommittee, said many Venezuelan Americans view the arrest as long-overdue accountability after more than two decades of authoritarian rule, economic collapse, and mass migration from Venezuela.

“These are people who lost everything,” Salazar said. “They lost their country, their savings, their ability to live freely. And yet they’re incredibly grateful today.”

South Florida has become home to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants over the past decade, many fleeing hyperinflation, food shortages, and political persecution despite Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

Salazar highlighted the stark contrast between Venezuela’s wealth and its citizens’ suffering: “You’re talking about a country with the largest oil reserves in the world — oil, minerals, water, land — and people couldn’t eat.”

She also noted that Venezuelan Americans have faced unfair stigma due to migration debates and criminal activity by a small minority, adding, “Most Venezuelans here are lawful, hardworking people who escaped a dictatorship. They came because they believe in freedom.”

Salazar credited the Trump administration with decisive action in this instance, contrasting it with previous administrations that were hesitant to address Venezuela’s crisis.

“For decades, everyone knew what was happening in Venezuela, and nothing was done,” she said. “This time was different.”

The congresswoman expressed cautious optimism about the future, stating: “This is about hope. Hope that Venezuela can finally begin to rebuild, and that the hemisphere can move away from tyranny and toward freedom.”