One week after the capture Venezuelan Tennesseans share hope

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WDEF) – A local Venezuelan family says hope is slowly returning after years of dictatorship, while emphasizing that leaving their homeland was not a choice but a matter of survival.

Their journey to the United States spans decades and generations.

David Mora arrived in 1992 as a child.

His aunt, Betty Mora Rondon, and cousin, Anibeth Perez Mora, followed eight years ago.

His uncle, Ricardo Mora Rondon, joined them just four years ago after spending most of his life working inside Venezuela’s oil industry.

For Betty Mora Rondon, the pain of leaving Venezuela has never faded.

“Every time I talk about Venezuela, I want to cry. For the past eight years, every time I think about my country, I feel deep sadness. Venezuela is my home.”

Ricardo Mora Rondon spent sixteen years working as a purchasing manager and cost analyst for a company servicing Venezuela’s oil and petrochemical industry.

From inside the system, he witnessed the country unravel as political loyalty began to dictate who could work and who could not.

“If you were not loyal to the government, you lost your job. People were filtered out based on political beliefs.”

Despite Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, basic services disappeared.

Electricity was limited to only a few hours a day, and fuel was heavily rationed.

“In a country with so many resources, we had no electricity and no gas. People waited days just to receive five gallons of fuel.”

The collapse also deeply affected Betty’s family.

Her husband spent thirty years working in the oil industry, but in the final years, conditions became unbearable.

“My husband worked in the oil industry for thirty years. In the end, it became so bad that he had to pay for gasoline out of his own pocket just to do his job.”

Anibeth Perez Mora described shortages that touched nearly every aspect of daily life.

“Despite having some of the largest oil reserves in the world, we did not have electricity. We did not have gas. Even cooking gas was difficult to obtain.”

For years, speaking publicly came with serious risks.

Ricardo explained that fear of persecution silenced many Venezuelans.

“Before, people could not speak on the news or on social media because they could be arrested or persecuted. Now, no matter what happens, the truth is coming out.”

As Americans debate U.S. involvement overseas, the family believes many do not fully understand the reality Venezuelans endured under dictatorship.

“People who protest do not truly understand Venezuela. It is not gangs or cartels. It is a country full of educated, hardworking people.”

Betty emphasized that many Venezuelans who came to the United States were professionals who willingly started over from nothing.

“People came here and cleaned streets, swept hallways, and did difficult jobs just to survive and help their families back home.”

The family believes political changes are bringing cautious hope, with people in Venezuela already sensing a shift.

“From the moment Maduro was removed, people felt an immediate change. Friends tell us it feels completely different.”

Despite rebuilding their lives in Tennessee, the family hopes one day to return to a free Venezuela.

“Without a doubt, Venezuelans living in the United States will return one day, not just to visit, but to rebuild.”

Grateful for the opportunities they have found in the United States, the family says their story has always been about survival, truth, and hope for their homeland’s future.