Venezuelan community holds rally in Memphis
Approximately 200 members of Memphis’ Venezuelan-american community rallied Saturday in Shelby Farms Park, as tensions mount over the control of the presidency in their home country.
Donning the red, yellow and blue colors of the Venezuelan flag, the multigenerational crowd of protesters turned out on an unseasonably warm day as part of a international day of protest in support of opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
Cesar Guerrero, a construction worker who has lived in Germantown since 2015, attended with his wife Naik and their two sons.
Asked what he wants to see happen in Venezuela, Guerrero said: “Many things. Freedom. Security, so that children can go to school safely. A brighter future. Food, medicine.”
He also referred to the dire shortages of each of those things, which have become emblematic of the country’s spiraling economic and humanitarian crisis.
Venezuelan-american community
According to Daniel Bastardo Blanco, a University of Tennessee student who helped organize the protest as part of the group Venezolanos en Memphis, some of those present represented the estimated 3 million refugees who have fled Venezuela in recent years.
Some were deeply-rooted Memphians, Blanco said.
“The Venezuelan community (in Memphis) is a very diverse community. We have medical doctors, we have scientists, we have realtors, car dealership owners, restaurant owners,” said Blanco.
He said at least 900 Venezuelans live in the Memphis area, based on voter turnout.
“We all want to do our best to make Memphis better,” said Blanco.
While he may have left Venezuela physically behind, he said, “I never left it in my heart.”
For Arianna Mora, a 15-year-old from Olive Branch, Mississippi, the demonstration marked the first time she gathered with her broader community.
“It’s interesting, looking at so many people celebrating,” she said. “It’s exciting to have a new president.”
A presidential election with geopolitical implications
Although Venezuela’s contested presidency has taken center stage in foreign policy discussions around the world in recent weeks, the conflict is not yet resolved.
Guaidó, the opposition leader whom the Memphis expatriates demonstrated to support, also has the backing of President Donald Trump.
Various officials have pushed for the ouster of Nicolás Maduro, who currently presides over the oil-rich country. A White House spokesperson recently said, “All options are on the table,” in regard to potential military intervention, according to USA Today. Sanctions were also recently imposed by the U.S. on the country’s state-run oil company.
For those dubious about the prospect of U.S. intervention, Blanco said he understands the concerns.
“But, we’re fighting to be able to feed our children, to be able to treat all patients, to dream of a Venezuela where someone can live,” he said.
Their struggle isn’t about bringing U.S. intervention into Venezuela, he said.
“It’s to bring our country back into democracy.”
Sarah Macaraeg is an investigative reporter with The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at 901-426-4357 or sarah.macaraeg@commercialappeal.com. She is on Twitter @seramak.