Beatriz Fantini lived in Venezuela for 10 years. She attended college there and worked as a journalist in Caracas and Maracaibo. She has been working with a group of Venezuelans since they arrived in Brattleboro last year.
BRATTLEBORO-A telephone call from Caracas at 2:30 a.m. woke one of them up. They then started calling one another to share their joy.
For these Venezuelans who live in Brattleboro, the stunning news about the American mission to capture Nicolás Maduro was the best way to start the new year.
"This is a gift from the Three Kings," one of them said, referring to the Catholic tradition of the Feast of Epiphany on Jan. 6, which marks the arrival of the Magi or Kings in Bethlehem to pay their respect to the Christ Child.
In the last several days, I have spent many hours talking with a group of Venezuelan refugees in Brattleboro. Given the shocking news of the Trump administration's decision to seize President Maduro and having heard some North American friends express anger at the action, I wanted to hear the reactions of actual Venezuelans themselves.
I spent three hours with a group of them this past weekend, watching the televised arrival of Maduro in New York.
Given all the suffering they endured under the Maduro regime, they all felt they had to see Maduro's arrest with their own eyes.
And when they saw him coming out of the plane, with handcuffs on his hands and feet, they all shouted "Bravo!"
"This is a victory for us," said one of them, who requested anonymity. "And we have to thank President Trump for having the courage to do it. Nobody did anything in the 26 years since Chávez took over the country."
"We are very happy but are even happier for people who remain in Venezuela," said another. "We were able to leave when we experienced some of the earliest atrocities - when we did not have anything to feed our children, when we saw our neighbors dying of malnutrition."
* * *
Their stories from life under the Maduro regime - and their reasons for coming here, to southern Vermont - are quite similar. Some of them fled first to Colombia and then Ecuador. They spent for four to eight years in other places. Then, when things turned out to be not as good as they hoped or expected, they decided to apply for asylum in the United States.
"It has been challenging [here in the U.S.] in many respects," said another. "We did not speak the language. We were not familiar with the culture or the food. But we simply had to find a way to adjust. Our children had to go to school - and, fortunately, this community is very welcoming. But we always hoped that somehow the Chavist-Maduro regime would come to an end."
Many of them admit that, in spite of all challenges, being here in Vermont provides a better life for them. "In terms of the economy, jobs, the quality of life, education for our children, we are fortunate to be here," said one mother. "A lot of people in Venezuela dream of having their kids study in the U.S. We are fortunately here already - and it has made a big difference."
In terms of finding jobs that do not require proficiency in English, they all said they have had to learn to do things they never imagined.
"I was a truck driver in Venezuela, and here I got a job at a farm and ended up killing chickens - something completely new to me!" one of them said.
Another admitted that he has a degree in economics - "yet I am working in a pizza factory." He quickly adds, "But I am very grateful to simply have a job!"
When asked how they see the future of Venezuela, they all agreed that it will take some time to straighten things out.
"First, they will have to change the entire infrastructure of the country," one said. "And they also have to make sure that all of Maduro's people are removed from government offices.
"But this is something that only Venezuela can do. The United States started the process by removing Maduro - but the rest is up to the Venezuelan people."
* * *
I asked them all if they consider the actions of the U.S. an "invasion" as some have said in the media. They responded with a resounding no, explaining that the surprising U.S. action may have been necessary.
In fact, one of them observes that the action was done astutely: "The Administration did not involve international organizations like the U.N. because, if it had, the whole operation may not have gone as smoothly as it did."
"Of course, now we are seeing 'Chavistas' [that is, Maduro's die-hard loyalists] are fighting with the opposition - but that is to be expected."
While none of them described themselves as sympathetic to Trump's MAGA movement, they noted that sometimes the least likable people do amazing things for the good of others.
"People who don't agree with Trump's intervention don't really know how the vast majority of Venezuelans feel right now," one of them observed.
It is something they had hoped and prayed for, for so long, that the U.S. action has brought relief to thousands of long-suffering Venezuelans - no matter how it was done.
"Maduro is out-and that is what is important."
This Voices Viewpoint was submitted to The Commons.
This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of the writer. In the newspaper and on this website, we strive to ensure that opinions are based on fair expression of established fact. In the spirit of transparency and accountability, The Commons is reviewing and developing more precise policies about editing of opinions and our role and our responsibility and standards in fact-checking our own work and the contributions to the newspaper. In the meantime, we heartily encourage civil and productive responses at voices@commonsnews.org.