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Venezuelan activist Yesenia González says she supports US intervention in Venezuela – by any means necessary – and believes US president Donald Trump will end Nicolás Maduro’s rule and bring "justice" to her people. “I have confidence: very soon we will be celebrating democracy in Venezuela,” González said at her office in Princes Court, Keate Street, Port of Spain, on October 29. Asked if she favours a US-led regime change or one driven by Venezuelans, González was emphatic, “We left it to the Venezuelan people for over 20 years, and they persecuted and starved us. He allowed criminals to run rampant, and if people protested, he jailed them. Speak against Maduro and you will be persecuted.” González accused Maduro of severe human rights violations, suppression of free speech, and referred to his administration as a dictatorship. “Maduro is a criminal dictator. I believe he’s weak now; it’s only a matter of time...” Like Trump, González questions the legitimacy of Maduro’s presidency, saying he did not win the July 28 election. “He is an illegitimate president.” González believes the Venezuelan Embassy in Trinidad should be closed, describing it as illegal and illegitimate. Asked about Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles’ hosting Venezuela ambassador Álvaro Enrique Sánchez Corderoon at her office on October 28, she said, “That is not right. They are illegitimate officials. Maduro lost the election; he’s an illegitimate president. The embassy should remain closed until our president, Edmundo González Urrutia, takes over and María Corina Machado, opposition leader, becomes vice president.” Despite growing geopolitical tension, González said US intervention will soon help rebuild Venezuela under new leadership. She dismissed the National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela’s move to declare Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar persona non grata, calling it meaningless and “an act by Maduro’s allies.” “They still don’t understand they have no power. They lost the election. They can say what they want; it’s all a waste,” she said. Regarding Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodríguez, she was also labelled a “criminal” and accused of corruption. Gonzales cautions PM about deportations Addressing the Ministry of Homeland Security’s October 27 directive ordering detained illegal immigrants to remain at the Immigration Detention Centre until repatriation, González urged caution and dialogue. She said the policy was not new, saying under the previous government, migrants with pending court matters were also deported. “Children were separated from parents. I’m surprised this government took such action. I have faith in Persad-Bissessar. I believe she (PM) can sit and talk about this. I’m sure there’s a committee advising her on immigration law. We should engage in dialogue.” González said migrants are an economic asset who contribute positively to the labour force. “They are good workers, chefs, doctors. Since Venezuelans came here, real estate has improved, many landlords have benefited. We need to work together to build agriculture and other sectors.” Asked about a possible violent uprising from Maduro’s supporters in Trinidad, González warned of the risks. “Yes, of course. It’s sad because it will affect honest migrants who just want to work.” She also urged government vigilance, citing the presence of criminal groups such as Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan network linked to terrorism and violent crime across Latin America and the US. González said she expects with a change in Venezuela’s leadership there would be improved relations with both countries. “Once Maduro is gone, things will improve. Peace will return to Venezuela, and there will be a strong gas and oil partnership. Maduro’s time is up. I believe the military will turn against him and hand him over to the Americans.” To Venezuelans, she sent a message of resilience. “I tell them to stay strong. Very soon, we’ll be free from Maduro’s criminal cartel.” Before concluding, González appealed for calm in TT: “Trinidadians, stay calm and trust the Lord: this will soon end. Don’t panic.”
