Rennis Quijada, 42, has lived in Ireland for the last 18 years and declared he hoped the removal of the despot could bring about change in his homeland.
Rennis Quijada
A Venezuelan living in Ireland said he’s happy the US overthrew Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
Rennis Quijada, 42, has lived in Ireland for the last 18 years and declared he hoped the removal of the despot could bring about change in his homeland.
He also hit out at recent protests in Dublin about the US military operation and said Venezuelan’s pleas for help have been ignored for years.
Mr Quijada also said anybody who attended a demonstration should go to Venezuela for a year and see how they like it.
However, the dad-of-three acknowledged that US President Donald Trump’s decision to act could be for ulterior motives, such as oil, but for now, he was just happy that Maduro had been ousted.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, he said: “We understand the position of those who are not Pro-Trump. They know, and we know that (Trump) needs power, he’s looking to have more control of the world – that’s fine.
“But if it’s someone who is giving you food, someone who is allowing you to be relaxed in your country, giving you healthcare – well then we’re willing to have that.”
He said: “For years, we asked for help. This will hopefully bring about change, that’s what Venezuelan’s want.”
Mr Quijada said his parents made the trek from Venezuela to Ireland in recent months for a holiday but now can’t return after flights to the region were curtailed.
He added: “They want to go back home …and they’re not able to go back. They’re used to their own home, they’re used to their weather.
“They’re happy at the moment because they can see their grandchildren, but they need to go back – no flights go back.”
When asked what his reaction was to the news after it broke on Saturday, Mr Quijada said: “We were shocked. There was a mix of feelings.
“You are happy for what happened but you are also sad. It is a mix. We knew something would happen.
“It’s like having a family member with cancer, you know they’re going to die soon, the person in bed is suffering and you want them to die and then when that person actually dies there is a mix of feelings.
“You are happy they’re no longer, but you’re sad because you miss that person.”
On Saturday, around 100 protesters took part in a demonstration in Dublin against the US operation to oust Maduro.
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