Recently, I have watched with dismay as protests erupt across the United States against the military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro. I have seen the slogans, heard officials condemn the action, and even faced criticism on social media for expressing my profound gratitude to President Trump and the U.S. forces involved.

As an American born in Venezuela, I urge readers to hear our voice: Maduro’s removal from power brought overwhelming joy to millions of us who endured his brutal authoritarian regime for years.

Under Maduro, Venezuela was transformed from a vibrant democracy and one of America’s most prosperous and educated nations into a country of scarcity and fear. The regime expropriated private industries across oil, telecommunications, electricity, banking, food, and mining sectors; shut down independent media; jailed, tortured, and killed citizens for dissent; and violently crushed peaceful protests. Every Venezuelan family has personal stories of disappeared loved ones, beaten neighbors, or friends arrested over a simple meme or a flag.

Nearly eight million Venezuelans—almost a third of the population—have fled as refugees, abandoning homes, families, and traditions because life became unlivable.

For over two decades, the Venezuelan opposition pursued change through non-violent means: marching, voting, organizing, and pleading for international support. They won elections on several occasions, yet the regime ignored the results, manipulated institutions, disqualified candidates, and imprisoned dissenters. In the last presidential election on July 28, 2024, Edmundo González Urrutia was widely recognized as the legitimate winner (including by the United States).

Critics label the U.S. action an “assault on sovereignty,” but that sovereignty had long been eroded by foreign influence from Russia, Iran, China, and Cuba. Reports indicate that Maduro’s security detail were Cuban nationals. On occasion, during the Chavez regimen, the Cuban flag has been flown at equal height on federal buildings, highlighting an occupation by proxy rather than true national control.

We have begged the world to help restore democracy. However, removing Maduro alone does not end the crisis. A stable, legitimate transition requires addressing the broader network of oppressors—figures like Diosdado Cabello, the most feared man in Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, acting President, in charge of the oil industry, her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, President of the National Assembly and propaganda, and lastly Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Minister of Defense. These figures are sustaining the regime.

The trusted leaders of Venezuela’s democratic movement are the beloved and admired María Corina Machado (recipient of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize) and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia. They represent the will of the Venezuelan people, expressed in an election marred by fraud but undeniable in its outcome.

If you feel compelled to protest, please direct your demands where they matter most: the release of all political prisoners, an internationally supervised transition, and full U.S. recognition of the legitimate democratic leadership chosen by Venezuelans.

Protests that defend the status quo risk prolonging suffering. Local examples of these protests are a recent rally held in Portland by Graham Platner with the Democrat Socialists of America (DSA). Platner, a self-described communist is the democrat candidate for U.S. Senate. In his comments, he attacks the U.S. for arresting Maduro. He addressed his small group of followers with the Marxist terminology “comrades”. Another sample is the group that meets at the Newcastle/Damariscotta bridge. It is sad, and disappointing to see neighbors engaging in a protest in defense of a murderous narco-terrorist dictator who has been leading a socialist country.

Ultimately, this action may also serve broader strategic interests, such as limiting adversarial powers like China access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. But for Venezuelans, its true value lies in opening the door to freedom.

I deeply thank the United States for acting when others would not.