In the days since the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a late-night military raid, Alejandra Salima has spoken to fellow Venezuelan migrants in her role as an advocate. She said that like her, most voice feelings that seesaw between joy and trepidation.
The removal of Mr. Maduro is “a first step, but we're nervous,” said Ms. Salima, who fled to the U.S. three years ago with her seven-year-old son and assists other Venezuelans at the Miami office of the National TPS Alliance. With the regime that Mr. Maduro led still in place, “at this moment, returning would put me and my son at risk,” she said.
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For more than 7,70,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S., reactions to Mr. Trump's forceful moves in the country they left behind — and the one that has taken them in — are as intense as they are complicated.
Many are thrilled by the removal of Mr. Maduro, who harassed and jailed political opponents while presiding over an economic collapse, driving millions of Venezuelans from the country. But as they try to figure out what's next for them and for families and friends still in Venezuela, many share Ms. Salima's conflicted feelings.
