On Sunday, July 28th, hundreds of Venezuelans marched through the streets of Humboldt Park to celebrate the beginning of a new era of freedom, which, for now, seems to have been postponed.

“You can see the face of a Venezuelan right now; what you will see in their eyes reflects the sadness of a country that is in tears, mourning many deaths,” said Wilmer, recalling the events unfolding in his homeland since the recent election results were announced. 

Wilmer, who chose to be identified by his first name only, fearing repercussions, is one of many Venezuelans in Chicago who were forced to flee their home country due to political and economic concerns. 

Last Sunday night, the elections in Venezuela took a surprising turn when Nicolás Maduro was declared president-elect, contrary to the optimism seen throughout the day in the streets of the country.

According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), Maduro secured the majority of the votes with 51.2 percent, while the opposition, led by Edmundo González with María Corina Machado, secured 44.2 percent of votes.

However, Wilmer, like millions of his compatriots, have condemned the appointment of Maduro as “fraud.” 

Wilmer said that Venezuelans and the world know who their president is, as “it was seen in the streets.” 

On August 1, in a statement, Anthony J. Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, stated the processing of the votes and the official election results in Venezuela were “deeply flawed”

He also described the CNE as an entity “controlled by Maduro.” The CNE, despite repeated calls from Venezuelans and the international community, “has still not published disaggregated data or any of the vote tally sheets.”

“[The results] do not represent the will of the Venezuelan people,” Blinken said, in the statement. “…Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people, that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election.”

Wilmer recalls going through more than five countries during his difficult journey, but he said he couldn’t stay in a country where “thinking differently from the government means having a gun pointed at you.”

He said that, like in his case, they did not leave Venezuela out of “cowardice” but “‘out of necessity, for a better future and to help our families.”

Today, he says that his “heart is broken.” 

“These are feelings that cannot be explained. We cried a lot. We cried,” he said, reflecting on his reaction upon learning the election results.

Juan Acevedo, another Venezuelan who sought refuge in Chicago after fleeing Maduro’s regime, said that for his people, these elections represented freedom.

“Freedom for our country, the freedom to see our loved ones again, to, someday, return to our homeland,” Acevedo said.

Wilmer said that, far from home, they can only support from a distance by sharing news from family and friends who still reside in Venezuela, news of the chaos that has erupted in their nation.

Wilmer said millions of Venezuelans are protesting in the streets, with “Innocent children, mothers, women, [and]  men… giving their lives for the freedom of [their] country.” 

The protesters are not only fighting for themselves but for those who are far from home, like him, Wilmer said.

“They fight for those who died along the way. They fight for the future of the new generations,” said Wilmer.

Despite these days being crucial for Venezuelans who want their votes to be respected, Wilmer fears for the protesters.

Machado, the opposition leader, reported 16 deaths in Venezuela since the Sunday elections.

In yesterday’s statement, Blinken said that the United States fully supports “the process of re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela” and is “willing to consider ways to bolster it jointly with our international partners.”

But for Wilmer, today, he said “the country that liberated Latin America is alone.”

“We have not seen any action that shows we have the support of a country,” Wilmer said. 

After eleven years, Wilmer, like the rest of the protesters, refuses to allow another term for Maduro.

Thus, from a distance, Wilmer, Acevedo, and many others continue to follow the steps of Venezuelans around the world by organising peaceful protests, like the one they held with other compatriots in ‘Plaza las Américas’, in Chicago downtown, on July 31.

Wrapped in banners and flags, the group of protestors gathered to sing their national anthem to bring awareness to the cries for help coming from their home country.

Javier, another protester in Chicago present on July 31st, who chose not to include his last name fearing repercussions, said they do it “to support all our people in Venezuela.” 

Like them, many other members of the Venezuelan community in Chicago have come together to show their desire for change and justice.

The protesters announced that the next peaceful demonstration will take place on Monday, August 5th, in the Loop.