By Karen Esquivel. Graphics by Jhasua Razo
(CNN) — Years of economic and social crisis, political repression, insecurity, and collapsing institutions forced millions of Venezuelans to leave their country and rebuild their lives abroad during Nicolás Maduro’s rule.
“I left Venezuela in 2017 due to political persecution of my family. I was afraid and desperate and thought about leaving before something happened to me,” Bárbara Briceño, who has lived in Mexico City for almost eight years, told CNN.
Maduro’s nearly 13 years in power were marked by a deep economic, political and social crisis. His government was accused of authoritarianism, repression of the opposition and electoral manipulation.
Venezuela faced turmoil in oil markets, while years of financial mismanagement, corruption and sanctions decimated the economy and led to hyperinflation that sent prices soaring daily.
After months of tensions between the US and Venezuela, on January 3, President Donald Trump announced that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores had been captured in a US military operation. The ousted president was detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy and other serious drug-related crimes. Maduro denies all accusations and claims they are politically motivated.
The news was initially celebrated by some members of the Venezuelan diaspora in different countries, but later caused uncertainty on two fronts: the appointment of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president and the Trump administration’s plans for the South American country.
Nearly 8 million Venezuelans left the country between 2014 and 2025. The numbers have made Venezuela the nation with the largest displacement crisis in the region. If exiled Venezuelans lived in a single country, they would have a population larger than Nicaragua (7 million), Paraguay (6.4 million), or El Salvador (6.3 million). It is estimated that 2,000 people left Venezuela every day between 2014 and 2025.
Venezuelan families ‘are all over the world’
Jean Carlo Cruz, originally from Maracay, Aragua state, told CNN that when he left Venezuela in 2011 due to economic and security concerns, the situation had not yet fully deteriorated.
His parents and other relatives still live in Venezuela, but his siblings and many friends now live in other countries.
“The typical thing now is that Venezuelan families are everywhere, all over the world,” he said.
After 15 years of living in Mexico City, Cruz said he can help his parents financially, feels free to express himself, and has access to services like internet, electricity, water and gas.
For Bárbara Briceño, born in Puerto Cabello, Carabobo state, being far from her family has been the hardest part of living in another country.
But still, she says, “The best decision was to leave the country before ending up like the political prisoners now.”
On January 8, the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, announced the release of “a significant number” of detainees. More than 140 political prisoners have been released so far, according to the organization Foro Penal, and over 700 detainees remain.
“I never went back out of fear. I haven’t been to Venezuela since 2017 and I long to return, to spend Christmas at home, family gatherings, it’s priceless,” Briceño said.
Venezuela’s population decre