Celebrations by Venezuelans abroad have continued into recent days following confirmation by the United States that it captured Nicolás Maduro, with diaspora communities across the Americas and Europe describing the moment as historic and emotionally cathartic.
What began over the weekend as spontaneous street gatherings has since broadened into sustained public celebrations in cities with large Venezuelan populations, including Doral, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Madrid.
In Doral, often referred to as “Doralzuela,” Venezuelans have continued to gather outside El Arepazo, waving national flags, singing the Venezuelan anthem, and holding placards reading “Make Venezuela Great Again.”
Footage from the area shows crowds dancing late into the night, with passing motorists honking in support.
“Today, justice is being served,” Kirvin Suarez, a member of the Venezuelan community in Florida, told Reuters.
He described the moment as vindication for millions who left the country during years of political repression and economic collapse.
“Justice is being served for all the Venezuelans who left our country to demonstrate who we are.
We are fighters, we are entrepreneurs, we are good people—but we want to return to our country and rebuild, move forward, and continue being that force that we have always been,” he said. “Long live Venezuela.”
Similar scenes have played out across Latin America. In Santiago, Venezuelans gathered in central districts waving flags, chanting, and embracing as news of Maduro’s capture spread.
In Buenos Aires, crowds assembled around the Obelisk, a focal point for public demonstrations, where celebrants sang, clapped, and filmed messages to relatives back home.
In Europe, Venezuelans in Madrid congregated in public squares, including Puerta del Sol, expressing relief and cautious optimism after years of watching events in their homeland from afar.
Many described the moment as one they had long doubted they would witness.
“This is the start of the end of the dictatorship of Venezuela,” one celebrant said in Doral, echoing a sentiment widely shared across diaspora communities.
Others framed the development as a personal milestone after years of displacement.
“I am obviously very happy about everything that has happened,” Daniel Victorio told Reuters, offering thanks to Donald Trump, whose administration confirmed the operation that led to Maduro’s capture.
While jubilation remains strong, conversations within the diaspora have begun to shift toward what comes next.
Alongside celebrations, Venezuelans abroad are increasingly discussing accountability, political transition, and the conditions that would make a safe and sustainable return home possible.
For now, however, the prevailing mood across Venezuelan communities abroad remains one of release and collective relief.
For many, the public celebrations are not only about the fall of a long-standing ruler, but about reclaiming a sense of national identity after years defined by exile, protest, and loss.