Exiled Venezuelans Dream of Returning Home. What’s Stopping Them?

Bogota, Colombia - Ekhbary News Agency

Exiled Venezuelans Dream of Returning Home: What’s Stopping Them?

In a dramatic turn of events that has sent ripples of hope and apprehension, President Nicolás Maduro was reportedly removed from power in January, a long-awaited development for the millions of Venezuelans forced to flee their homeland amid the ongoing crisis. However, the dream of returning home remains elusive for many, as expatriates assert that conditions are still unsafe and the machinery that sustained Maduro's rule persists, raising questions about whether recent political shifts will truly signal an end to repression.

Luis Peche, a 31-year-old political consultant, had long harbored a dream of a Venezuela free from Nicolás Maduro's leadership. Living under Maduro's rule, Peche, like many others, witnessed friends flee the country fearing hunger and repression, while others were imprisoned for their activism. In May 2025, Peche himself was compelled into exile after receiving a tip that security forces were preparing to arrest him. He has resided in Colombia ever since, carrying the weight of his homeland's plight.

When Peche awoke on January 3rd to learn that Maduro was no longer in power, he erupted with joy. Tears streamed down his face as he called his mother in Caracas to celebrate. "It represented the possibility that the terrible things we’ve lived through could finally come to an end," Peche told Ekhbary News Agency from a terrace overlooking Bogota. This possibility included the chance to return home, a longing shared by thousands of Venezuelans in exile who have yearned for Maduro's removal, hoping it would mark the end of the economic turmoil and political violence that forced them from their homes.

However, despite Maduro's departure, the structures of his regime remain firmly in place. While the United States reportedly took Maduro to New York to face trial, the administration of then-US President Donald Trump has since recognized Maduro's former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as Venezuela's interim leader. Crucially, the repressive apparatus that sustained Maduro's rule, including paramilitary groups used to quell dissent, continues to operate and patrol Venezuela's streets, intimidating those who express sympathy for the opposition. This situation has given exiled Venezuelans pause. Even one month after Maduro's ouster, many fear they could encounter the same violence they fled should they travel back to Venezuela.

"My concern is that there is a change with Maduro’s exit, but the regime remains," said Peche. "My plans to return are on hold while I wait to see what happens." He is echoed by Jesús Rodríguez, a 50-year-old Venezuelan exiled in Bogotá, who shares the dream of returning home but views the current government with deep skepticism. "The head is gone, but the limbs remain," he remarked of Maduro's government, adding, "Venezuela still has a long way to go." Prominent figures such as Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello continue to hold positions of power, despite their alleged roles in human rights abuses under Maduro. Meanwhile, Rodríguez's cousin, opposition leader Jesús Armas, remains imprisoned in El Helicoide, one of the country's most notorious detention centers.

"It’s a huge injustice," Rodríguez lamented regarding his cousin’s year-long imprisonment. "Jesús was supposed to be among the first released, but it was all a lie. We hope to God that he’ll be freed soon and get to see his father, who is in the hospital." Rodríguez asserts that those currently in power are the true "delinquents" who belong behind bars. Venezuela's interim government has pledged to release a "significant number" of political prisoners following Maduro's alleged abduction. They have also proposed a general amnesty for political detainees and promised to shut down El Helicoide. However, even this pledge has been met with doubt within the exile community. According to the human rights nonprofit Foro Penal, only 344 out of Venezuela's 800 political prisoners have been released since January 8th to February 1st, the period following Maduro's alleged removal. Furthermore, those who have been released have reportedly faced gag orders and other threats, limiting their freedoms.

Despite these reservations, Rodríguez believes the US military action to remove Maduro was necessary, even if critics condemned it as a violation of international law. Polling conducted in November indicated that nearly two-thirds of the Venezuelan diaspora approved of a potential US military intervention to topple Maduro. "It was necessary because there were no independent institutions or real checks on his power, and because citizens couldn’t overcome the violence he used to crush every attempt to remove him," Rodríguez explained. Like many exiles, Rodríguez views external intervention, despite its controversy, as perhaps the only way to break the cycle of repression that has plagued the nation for years. Yet, the lingering question remains: can Venezuela truly begin a process of healing and democratic reconstruction while figures from the old regime still hold positions of power? The answer will shape the future for millions dreaming of returning to their homeland.

Ekhbary News Agency