After Venezuela's presidential election results erupted in an international outcry, Vanessa Volkmann decided to get involved with politics for the first time.
The 27-year-old Gainesville veterinarian stepped in to help organize a local protest, which brought about 80 people to Depot Park Aug. 17. Volkmann knew the election would be unfair, but she was still devastated by the results, she said.
“The good thing is that this time, there’s more noise on the international level,” she said. “That means we have more help.”
Nearly a month after the election, Gainesville residents are still gathering support for Venezuelans. Local community members wait for the next call for protest while student organizations brainstorm how to help.
Nicolás Maduro defeated opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia in Venezuela's July 28 election, despite the opposition party revealing that González won more votes. Venezuelans cite blatant election corruption, as Maduro controls The National Electoral Council of Venezuela, or Consejo Nacional Electoral, which determines the winner. Citizens argue he put himself back in power.
Maduro’s 11-year-long reign led 7.7 million Venezuelans to flee the country and left 19 million residents without basic necessities, like healthcare and food.
When Venezuela’s opposition leader, María Corina Machado, called for worldwide peaceful protests to challenge the election results, Volkmann found herself constantly checking social media.
“There is not a Venezuelan who isn’t up to date with the news right now,” Volkmann said.
Depot Park was the best location for a Gainesville protest, she said. As a parent herself, she wanted a space for her children to join the movement without endangering their safety.
Angel Prato, a 44-year-old journalist from Venezuela, is no stranger to protesting. He was among the crowd at Depot Park. Now living in the United States, he uses his organization Líderes Libres to advocate for the CNE to release accurate election data.
He also calls for the restoration of human rights and due process for Venezuelans, especially for those who have been wrongfully imprisoned. He said there needs to be international support for Venezuela and against Maduro’s regime.
Prato said Gainesville protesters have the privilege of gathering to support their country when freedom of speech, press and assembly is heavily criminalized in Venezuela. More than 2,000 people have been jailed for peacefully protesting, according to the BBC.
“Our weapons are our voice,” Prato said. “This is to raise awareness about the anguish and persecution that exists within Venezuela.”
“In Venezuela, they teach you to be dependent on the state,” he added. “We want to change that.”
He knows that it’ll be a long challenge, but he’s not afraid to take it on, he said.
Although Coro Borjas has lived in Gainesville for 30 years, she couldn’t abandon her roots when María Corina Machado called for global protests.
Borjas built a network of local Hispanic people thanks to her work with community organizations — a quality that came in handy when trying to bring a large group together to protest.
“It hurts me to see so many people suffering for so long and getting displaced all over the world,” she said.
Community-building and support are among Borjas’ highest priorities. A small business owner, she volunteers for organizations like the Latina Women’s League, an organization that provides support and resources to Gainesville’s Hispanic community, and Children Beyond Our Borders, a non-profit providing education, healthcare and scholarships for students in need in the U.S. and Latin America.
News about the protest spread on Facebook groups like Venezolanos en Gainesville and on WhatsApp. Borjas emphasized a need to keep the event peaceful. She quelled her long-term anxiety about violent protests, saying her determination overpowered her fear.
Venezuelans fear being monitored or imprisoned while simply sending messages through WhatsApp, Borjas said.
“Maybe we can get some attention,” she said. “Maybe there’s some hope that there could be some kind of help internationally to solve this situation.”
The horrors in Venezuela started long before July 28. The Human Rights Watch reported that over 15,000 people have been wrongfully arrested since 2014. Since Maduro rose to power, citizens have been cut off from proper medical care and nutrition. His government has contributed to the disappearances and killings of political dissidents.
Borjas said she’s met other Venezuelans who had horrible experiences before making it to the U.S., and many have families they had to leave behind.
“This is beyond politics,” Borjas said. “It’s about being able to speak. It’s about humanity.”
Across the UF campus, student organizations are pooling their resources together to support the cause.
Imani Sanchez, a 21-year-old UF political science and international studies senior, learned about Venezuela’s election history thanks to her academic focus on Latin America. As the new executive director for the Hispanic-Latine Student Association Office of Political Affairs, she said collaboration with the Venezuelan community is one of her priorities this semester.
The association’s Office of Political Affairs, or OPA, acts as a voice for the Hispanic and Latino community on campus and across the nation. Her cabinet’s job is to inform people about current and historical events in Hispanic and Latino communities, including local and international issues.
Although OPA primarily works with politically oriented organizations, Sanchez plans to work closer with HSA affiliate organizations, like the Venezuelan Student Association, to support students on campus.
While she is still working on planning events for the fall semester, she hopes OPA’s events bring awareness to issues across Latin America, including Venezuela. She said that OPA plans on tabling and extending a helping hand to any affiliate organizations who want to give presentations about current events.
Most importantly, Sanchez wants to hear from others. She plans to encourage both Venezuelan students and Gainesville residents to share their stories and help others understand their experiences.
“It’s one thing to read about it,” Sanchez said. “It’s another thing to understand it from someone who’s experienced it in person.”
Contact Delia Rose Sauer at drosesauer@alligator.org. Follow her on X @_delia_rose_.
Delia Rose Sauer is a junior journalism student and the Fall 2024 University General Assignment Reporter. This is her second semester on the University Desk. In her free time, she's drawing on Procreate, crocheting or exploring music genres.
