Wrapped in their national flag and clad in its colors — yellow, blue and red — members of the Venezuelan community embraced one another while sharing posters and banners.
Written on some were “Libertad” and “Venezuela Estamos Contigo,” which translate to “Liberty” and “Venezuela, We Are With You.”
A harmonization of voices and the instrumental sounds of traditional Venezuelan folk music filled the air above Bo Diddley Plaza, at 111 E. University Ave., Wednesday afternoon to show support for Juan Guaidó, the National Assembly President of Venezuela.
On Wednesday, Guaidó declared himself interim president, which challenged the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro, according to The Associated Press. Because Guaidó was backed by President Donald Trump’s administration, Maduro cut off diplomatic relations with the U.S. and gave American diplomats 72 hours to leave Venezuela.
Cecilia Mejias, 52, posted an announcement Saturday in “Venezolanos En Gainesville,” Venezuelans In Gainesville, a Facebook group she created, calling for its members to gather at the plaza. Mejias said about 200 people attended throughout the two-hour event.
“Every time there’s an international event in Venezuela, I try to have people together here in Gainesville,” she said.
Cesar Dager Carlesso, a 21-year-old UF political science senior, learned about the local demonstration Tuesday night. He moved from Venezuela to Orlando when he was 11. He decided to show solidarity with other Venezuelans after he was invited to speak about the family ties community members have in Gainesville.
“We are showing to the people back home that we are in the same struggle as they are and that we are drawing attention to what they are going through,” Carlesso said.
Rinaldo Jose Sintjago Flores, 62, and Tania Cecilia Cordova-Sintjago, 60, also sang traditional Venezuelan music. Songs included “Apure en un Viaje” by Genaro Prieto and “Caballo Viejo” by Simón Díaz, directly translated as “Hurry on a Trip,” and “Old Horse.”
“The idea wasn’t to sing, but to unite with the people,” Flores said.
Also in attendance and from Venezuela was Sondra Rojas, 28, who moved to Gainesville in 2015 after she was detained in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
In 2014, she was imprisoned for three days for protesting against Maduro, she said. She was denied food, water and access to a bathroom. The guards dragged her by her hair and demanded that she stay crouched for 20 hours.
“[The guards] would ask me ‘Who’s your president?’ and I’d say Henrique Capriles,” she said. “They would hit me on the head with frozen water bottles.”
She attended the event with her family to celebrate the possibility of change, she said.
After an hour of singing, they closed the demonstration with the national anthem and chanted “Viva Venezuela,” or “Long Live Venezuela” one last time.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that one of the attendees names is Sondra Rojas. The Alligator originally reported differently.
About 200 Gainesville residents demonstrated at Bo Diddley Plaza to show support for self-declared Venezuelan interim president Juan Guaidó. Edysmar Diaz-Cruz / Alligator Contributor
