Venezuelans abroad adopt a wait-and-see approach, citing economic ruin and fear of the regime’s security apparatus as barriers to an immediate return home.
BOGOTÁ: The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sparked joy among the diaspora but not immediate plans for a mass return home.
Many of the eight million who fled economic ruin and repression cite the country’s tattered economy and fear of the remaining security apparatus as key reasons to stay abroad.
“There has been no change of regime in Venezuela, there is no transition,” said Ligia Bolivar, a Venezuelan sociologist and rights activist living in Colombia.
“In these circumstances nobody is going to run home,” she told AFP.
The sentiment was echoed by Alejandro Solorzano, 35, outside the Venezuelan consulate in Bogotá.
“Everything remains the same,” he said, referring to the US decision to work with Maduro’s administration.
Maduro’s former deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as acting president on Monday.
Her administration still includes hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a figure of dread for many after a 2024 crackdown.
Many were also shocked by the US decision to sideline opposition leader María Corina Machado from the transition.
Andrea, a 47-year-old immigration advisor in Buenos Aires, argued Machado’s hour had not yet come for her own safety.
Political analyst Luis Peche argued in favour of a negotiated transition that requires part of the existing state apparatus to remain.
Leading rights expert Tamara Suju said keeping the tainted cast in charge was a necessary short-term evil for negotiations.
Edwin Reyes, a 46-year-old window installer in Colombia, said he would consider a return only once Venezuela was “completely free”.
“We’ve waited so long, another four or five months won’t hurt,” he said.
