CHARLOTTE — The Venezuelan population in the Charlotte area is small, but many of the people in that community are rejoicing Saturday night.
Michel Meza is the owner of Los Chamos, the only Venezuelan restaurant in town.
“Venezuelan born and raised,” Meza said. “I’ve been here in the states for a little more than six years and I left my country because of the government.”
Meza is not fond of Nicolás Maduro.
“The people who suffer, the poor people because they didn’t have any access to food, to basic rights, to health in any way,” he said.
When Meza woke up Saturday morning to word that the U.S. was taking action against the regime, he was overjoyed.
“I can’t believe it’s happening now. It’s real. It’s going on right now and it was a super relief,” said Meza. “This is not the end, it’s just the beginning. Like I said, it’s gonna be a path, but I’m super hopeful that this is the right path.”
That path is uncertain. For now the U.S. is in control, but if recent history is a guide, other occupations have not gone smoothly. Meza expects the ride to be bumpy.
“Right now it’s gonna get bad, not for you, not for me, but for the regular folks in Venezuela. But this is a necessary path, we need to go through this to get the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Meza.
He is hopeful that condition will improve for his people and that he will be able to return home and visit his family, something he hasn’t been able to do for the last seven years.
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