Miami – Luis Atencio feels he can help change the course of Venezuela’s history.
“I’m going home to vote,” said the Venezuelan-American, who is returning to his home country 24 hours before the presidential election.
Atencio and his family moved to the United States because of political turmoil in Venezuela, and he is seeing his first ray of hope after voting for 74-year-old Edmundo Gonzalez on Sunday.
The former diplomat was selected by opposition leaders in April after Maria Corina Machado, who won last year’s opposition primary, was disqualified by the Maduro government over unproven corruption allegations.
Gonzalez will face off against Nicolas Maduro, 61, of the United Socialist Party, who has been in power since 2013.
“We know there are many Venezuelans who don’t have the opportunity (to support and vote),” Atencio said.
Venezuelans in South Florida cannot vote because President Nicolas Maduro in 2019 severed ties with the United States and closed its embassy in Washington and consulates, including one in Miami.
“Election day is finally just 48 hours away,” said Adelis Ferro, a Venezuelan activist in Miami.
At El Arepaso, a Venezuelan landmark in Doral, activists and supporters vowed to work on Sunday.
“They organized these ‘komanditos,’ or command centers,” Ferro said.
This is a network of informal election observers from South Florida and other U.S. cities that connects with people voting in Venezuela through an app, but there may be limitations.
“We have been organizing people on the ground with family and friends to provide transportation for those who cannot make it to their precincts,” Ferro added.
The press conference was hosted by the South Florida Democratic Party.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose district in Weston has a large Venezuelan population, is backing an opposition candidate who polls show has a chance of beating President Maduro.
“Americans should care about this election because they believe in democracy.”
According to the U.S. Census, there are 108,606 Venezuelans living in Miami-Dade County and more than 53,000 in Broward County.
“When you pose a danger from a dictator like Maduro, the repercussions in the United States are enormous. We have Venezuelans in the United States, we have Cuban-Americans in the United States, we have Nicaraguans who have fled oppression here,” Wasserman Schultz said.
For Atencio, there is no doubt that this Sunday can make a difference in Venezuela and the United States.
“I’m going to vote with all my heart and I’m going to support it,” Luis Atencio said, optimistic about the future.
