'Our greatest wish is to return home': Venezuelans rally in support of US military action

Around 2 a.m. on Saturday, Jesus Colmenares was woken by the sound of his phone buzzing. A native Venezuelan living in Lawrenceville, Jesus was getting calls and texts from friends and family back home, letting him know: They’d been hearing explosions in the capital, Caracas. Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro—who’d been in power for the last dozen years—had been taken into custody by U.S. forces.

“Esa noticia fue impactante,” Jesus said. “Al momento no sabía cómo reaccionar, pero después, ver que era cierto fue duro porque al haber emigrado no fue fácil.” (That news was shocking. At the time I didn’t know how to react, but later, seeing that it was true was difficult, because having emigrated wasn’t easy.)

As he cried, he explained that he left his home country 11 years ago—one of millions who’ve fled Venezuela in the wake of rising political repression, a collapsing economy, and widespread gang violence. Today, Jesus works for a food company in Georgia—and felt hope, he said, after seeing the news of Maduro’s capture. “Ver que sea el principio de un fin que hemos deseado con el corazón, no tiene nombre.” (Seeing that this is the beginning of an end that we have longed for with all our hearts is beyond words.)