“I was born and raised in Venezuela, and it remains a core part of who I am. Even after being away for over 25 years, Venezuela continues to shape me. “

The words of Luisa Zuleima-Salazar, the mother of junior Lea Garcia Salazar, echo across campus, resonating with the school’s Venezuelan population.

“My bond with the country is reflected in my family, friends, traditions, food, and the familiar streets of my town,” Salazar said. “Even after being away for over 25 years, Venezuela continues to shape me. Venezuela has deteriorated in every way, far beyond just issues of insecurity. We are now facing the harsh reality of a dictatorial regime that has forced its people into extreme poverty and hopelessness.”

The insurrection in Venezuela, led by the socialist party under Nicolás Maduro, has resulted in violent and destructive protests across the country. Although the country has been in political turmoil since Maduro took power in 2013, the conflict has now boiled over with the overthrowing of the democratic election results. 

It’s a situation with an impact far beyond the country’s borders as several Redhawks of Venezuelan descent continue to follow the latest news.

“I believe the elections in Venezuela are unfair and unconstitutional, to the people and the country itself,” junior Abraham La Rosa Ortega said. “They are always rigged to make it seem like the current president/dictator is winning, and all he does is just make things worse, as the people of this country have fought for decades trying to free our beautiful country, but we are never strong enough to take down the government.”

Venezuela is amongst the poorest nations in the world despite the country’s rich oil reserves. The country has been on a more rapid economic decline since Maduro’s days as the right hand of former President Hugo Chávez. 

“Venezuela has been extracted like a giant oil pump by its officials and the world for countless years,” senior Juan Mendoza said. “And just like we see everywhere else in the world, where there is oil and money, there is conflict. It’s much worse when it’s in the politically broken and corrupt continent of South America.”

But despite being nearly 3,000 miles away, students and communities in Frisco continue to advocate for the constitutional rights of Venezuelans. For Mendoza, although this political instability can be discouraging, it isn’t a sign to give up. 

“Of course we felt discouraged, upset, and let down by this year’s sorry excuse for an election,” Mendoza said. “But as many Venezuelans say, including the head of the opposition Venezuelan party, this was to be expected, what this really signifies is a call for us to once again bear arms and look to a brighter tomorrow.”

Moreno worries for her family, who remain in the country due to the government’s harsh punishments of protestors. 

“We are very scared for our families and friends living in Venezuela, they are going through a difficult time,” Moreno said. “They have no protection from the State security agencies because these agencies are controlled by the same dictatorial and corrupt government. Since 2014, there have been around 17,571 political detentions (arrests). After the past presidential elections more than 1,790 arrests have been reported, including children and adolescents.”

The hardships are not new according to Mendoza, and it continues to be heartbreaking to him each and every time. 

“This is far from the first time we have seen this,” Mendoza said. “We have been through this three times, this being our third, and many challenges and hardships have come in between those long years. 2013, 2018, 2024, all massively heartbreaking years for our people.” 

But despite all of the hardships and insecurities, Venezuelan expats still hold love and hope for the future of their country. 

“I hope that the country will be able to keep fighting hard for their freedom and eventually succeed,” La Rosa Ortega said. “I guess I would say that I hope that one-day Nicolás Maduro realizes that all the genocide of his people and the destruction of our environments will bring nothing but just damage our Venezuela even further.”

For Salazar, all she can hope for is for Venezuelans to access basic human rights and necessities, achieving the freedom they deserve. 

“I would like to see Venezuela united, strong, and, above all, free. We Venezuelans must keep fighting for freedom and strive to restore the Venezuela we once knew 25 years ago,” Salazar said. “We need a nation where necessities like water, electricity, medicine, and food are guaranteed, and where our homes are shelters of dignity and freedom.”