I am terrified of cockroaches. Just the mere thought of those brown wings — flapping towards me, invading my skin, scurrying up my neck, entering my mouth — haunts me. That is when I close my eyes, to make the image go away. Since last week, my stomach has been turning when envisioning myself handcuffed in an isolated cell filled with cockroaches as they crawl over my body, but this time, I would not have the privilege to escape.
This is the reality for over 1,200 Venezuelans at “El Cucarachero,” one of many torture cells in El Helicoide, a mall turned into Latin America’s largest torture center by former president Hugo Chávez. It has been gnawing at my conscience that this could have been me if I had not escaped Venezuela in 2017.
As I write this, Nicolás Maduro is entrenching his totalitarian regime in Venezuela. On Monday, July 29, he fraudulently declared himself the winner of the presidential election, despite opposition candidate Edmundo González’s clear victory. Maduro is now building two maximum-security “re-education jails” to further torture and execute his opponents. He is persecuting opposition supporters by raiding homes, monitoring communications and creating hotlines for his supporters to report dissidents to imprison and torture them.
Yale’s Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellow María Corina Machado is spearheading a movement for justice in Venezuela, with international support recognizing González as president, including the U.S. government. However, this struggle did not start today. It goes back to 25 years ago, when Hugo Chávez planted the first seed of dictatorship in my home.
Once South America’s richest country — due in large part to its abundant oil reserves — Venezuela’s decline began when Chávez was elected president in 1999. His “Bolivarian Missions,” promising affordable goods and property, instead delivered expired products and failed farms due to mismanagement. Replacing skilled oil workers with loyalists and subsidizing oil abroad damaged the economy, leading to over 130,000 percent hyperinflation in 2018. Chávez’s authoritarian regime saw police involvement in kidnappings and rampant financial mismanagement.
After Chávez’s death in 2013, Nicolás Maduro became interim president and was declared the winner of the presidential election later that year, though there were protests over alleged fraud. He presided over rising corruption and political interference in the judicial system, resulting in increased disappearances, sexual violence and extrajudicial killings. The United States charged him with narco-terrorism, corruption and embezzlement of over $450 million, citing over 20 years of collusion with the FARC, a far-left Colombian leftist militia.
Today, the United Nations ranks Venezuela among the world’s poorest nations, with 83 percent of the population in poverty, lacking food and healthcare. It is one of the most dangerous countries in the Americas, with a murder rate of 99.98 per 100,000 people.
In 2014, opposition leaders Leopoldo López and María Corina Machado sparked hope with a campaign to oust Maduro, leading to student-led protests and over 43 deaths as the military turned against civilians. The situation worsened in 2017 when Maduro stripped the National Assembly of its power, leading to five months of violent police crackdowns on protesters and government threats against them and their families.
I will never forget the day that Neomar Lander, a teenage student protester from my hometown, Guarenas, was murdered. While protester deaths are common, this hit close to home. It could have been me. “La lucha de pocos vale por el futuro de muchos”: “The fight of a few is worth the future of many.” Those were Neomar’s words.
Despite the efforts of many, the dictatorship has only worsened. Maduro fraudulently claimed victory in the 2018 elections. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognized as interim president by the United States, briefly sparked hope but disappeared amid threats of torture and murder — as did our dreams of a better future.
On July 28, Venezuelans both abroad and at home rekindled that hope as they voted in the presidential election. Although Machado was banned from running, the opposition coalesced around Edmundo González, an unknown diplomat, as their presidential candidate. Opposition vote tallies found that González won 67 percent of the vote, receiving 7.1 million votes to Maduro’s 3.2 million. An Associated Press analysis of verified tally sheets from 79 percent of voting machines confirmed the opposition’s claim that González won more votes. Maduro’s allies in the legislature called for González’s arrest shortly after polls closed and Maduro declared himself the winner. This time, however, the world can see the truth.
Protests started on July 29, with over 23 deaths and more than 2,000 arrests so far. Since then, thousands of demonstrators have torn down Chávez statues, confronted the military and held mass prayers. The government is torturing and disappearing thousands who speak out or post on social media at the El Helicoide prison.
Today, over 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled as Maduro’s dictatorship continues to oppress and kill us. Despite this, we persist in our fight for freedom. Ending Maduro’s regime depends on us, but no matter your background, you can help liberate Venezuela. You can start by informing yourself about the situation by consulting this list of resources and donation suggestions.
NICOLE VILORIA is a senior in Pierson College. She can be reached at nicole.viloria@yale.edu.