Hundreds of Venezuelans in Central Florida gather to celebrate Maduro's end

Natalia Jaramillo, Orlando Sentinel on Jan 4, 2026

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Hundreds of Venezuelans gathered on Sunday in Orlando to pray for their country one day after President Nicolás Maduro was removed and captured in a U.S. military operation.

At the First Baptist Church of Orlando, Venezuelans celebrated, sang, prayed over their flag and gleefully chanted their national anthem — many through tears — for a nearly two-hour long vigil. The auditorium full of Venezuelans erupted in applause and cheers after pastor Israel Martin said the end of Maduro’s reign had arrived.

“This is a day to pray for the future of Venezuela,” Martin said in Spanish. “Friends and brothers, there is no longer a tyrant leading Venezuela.”

While many agreed that removing Maduro was the first step, they said it would take years to reconstruct the once prosperous Venezuela, and some are still uncertain of its future.

As Maduro was held in custody in New York, President Donald Trump on Saturday said at a news conference the U.S. would “run” the South American country with the help of the vice president and now interim president, Delcy Rodriguez. But one day later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio seemed to pivot and instead told CBS News in an interview that the U.S. will keep a “quarantine” on Venezuelan oil exports as leverage on the new administration. He also did not rule out the possibility that U.S. soldiers could be sent to occupy Venezuela, saying the president has the “ability and right” to do so.

William Diaz, the founder of Casa de Venezuela, a nonprofit with groups across the United States, helped put together the vigil. Diaz said he wished the U.S. operation would have taken out not only Maduro but more people who upheld his regime.

“The decision to leave the country with the VP, which is the VP of Maduro, you say, ‘Well, what’s going on here?’ ” Diaz said. “But this is a first step.”

Now Diaz, who left Venezuela 36 years ago, said he hopes Rodriguez will call for a new election within the next 30 days to usher in a new leadership that is democratically elected.

“When we are really free, we’re going to be in Venezuela. … That is our hope,” Diaz said.

Marali Rubio left Venezuela eight years ago. Her mother died in Venezuela during the COVID-19 pandemic and she was unable to say goodbye, she said. Wrapped in a Venezuelan flag at the vigil, Rubio said through tears that she had faith this day would come.

“I have compassion for him [Maduro] even though he did not have that for us and an entire nation of people,” Rubio said in Spanish. “There is still a lot of uncertainty for those who are left in Venezuela but we are so happy.”

Rubio fled Venezuela after being persecuted for protesting the Maduro administration but has built a new life in the U.S., marrying her Puerto Rican husband in Orlando and bringing her two children from Venezuela.

“I would love with all my heart to visit my country, but I have made a new life here and my mom is no longer with us,” Rubio said about returning to live in Venezuela. “The U.S. intervention is the first step to reconstruct Venezuela. … But it’s going to take time.”

Donalis Montilla, her husband Alexis Oliva and their son Diego Oliva, who donned a t-shirt with “Venezuela” printed in large letters across it, walked out of the vigil with smiles on their faces.

“I think there is still more left to do because the leadership was large but they took out the ringleader,” Montilla said. “But today we thank God … and one of the first things that I thought of was that I could go back to visit my country, which makes me emotional.”

Montilla said her family moved to the U.S. roughly 11 years ago after being threatened and held hostage inside their home in Venezuela.

“We have not been back because we are so scared, even though we have legal status that allows us to go in and out of the U.S.,” Montilla said. “Our whole family is here … but I would never say there is no possibility of us spending our final years back in Venezuela.”

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