Luis Hermoso and his wife, Marialejandra Contreras, fled their home in Maracaibo, Venezuela, with their 1-year-old son about six years ago amid political arrests and countrywide blackouts that made them fear for their familyβs safety.
They ultimately settled in South Fayette, although many of the concerns the couple had when they left their home country have lingered as theyβve watched tensions ramp up in Venezuela, as the Trump administration has continued missile strikes on alleged drug vessels from the country.
kAmp &]$] }2GJ AC6D6?46 2=D@ 92D 366? 3F:=5:?8 π E96 r2C:3362? $62 2D !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 92D E9C62E6?65 2EE246 E96 4@F?ECJβD AC6D:56?E[ }:4@=2D |25FC@[ 7@C E96 :?7=FI @7 5CF8D 2?5 >:8C2?ED :?E@ E96 &]$] 2D 2 AC6DDFC6 42>A2:8? E@ 86E E96 $@FE9 p>6C:42? =6256C E@ DE6A 5@H?]k^Am
kAmw6C>@D@ 2?5 r@?EC6C2D H6C6 2>@?8 2 8C@FA @7 ‘6?6KF6=2? EC2?DA=2?ED H9@ 92G6 =67E E96:C 9@>6 4@F?ECJ E@ 368:? ?6H =:G6D π (6DE6C? !6??DJ=G2?:2 2?5 DA@<6 E@ E96 !@DE\v2K6EE6 23@FE E96 C646?E &]$] :?G@=G6>6?E π ‘6?6KF6=2 7@==@H:?8 2 $A2?:D9\=2?8F286 |2DD 2E $E] ~D42C #@>6C@ !2C:D9βD ~FC {25J @7 E96 |:C24F=@FD |652= r9FC49 π r92CE:6CD @? $F?52J]k^Am
kAmβx ECJ E@ 5:DE2?46 >JD6=7 3642FD6 E92E 8:G6D >6 D@ >F49 2?I:6EJ[β w6C>@D@ D2:5] βx 92G6 72>:=J E96C6] |J >@E96C DE:== =:G6D E96C6[ D@ x 5@?βE H2?E 2 DEC@?8 D9@H:?8 @7 >:=:E2CJ A@H6C[ 3FE x 5@ H2?E 492?86]βk^Am
kAmx? C646?E >@?E9D[ %CF>A 92D 4@?E:?F65 E@ 6D42=2E6 9:D 2EE24 @7 324<:?8 5CF8 EC277:4<:?8 2?5 5C:G:?8 >2DD >:8C2E:@? :?E@ E96 &]$]k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C[ 2 &?:E65 }2E:@?D C6A@CE 244FD65 |25FC@ @7 4@>>:EE:?8 4C:>6D 282:?DE 9F>2?:EJ E92E :?4=F56 :?4:56?ED @7 <:==:?8D[ 7@C465 5:D2AA62C2?46D[ D6IF2= 2DD2F=E 2?5 E@CEFC6 β 2 C62=:EJ E92E DAFCC65 E96 ‘6?6KF6=2? A2C:D9:@?6CD 2E ~FC {25J @7 E96 |:C24F=@FD |652= r9FC49 β 2?5 >:==:@?D >@C6 β E@ 7=66]k^Am
kAmxEβD 2 C62=:EJ E92E ‘6?6KF6=2? :>>:8C2?ED D2:5 >@DE p>6C:42?D 4@F=5 ?@E 4@>AC696?5]k^Am
kAmr@?EC6C2D[ H9@ FD65 E@ H@C< 7@C p>6C:42? p:C=:?6D[ D2:5 E92E E96 =2DE E:>6 D96 C6EFC?65 9@>6 7C@> H@C< 367@C6 >@G:?8 E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ E96C6 H6C6 >6? H:E9 =@?8 8F?D C@2>:?8 E96 DEC66ED]k^Am
kAmβ%96C6 H2D ?@ DJDE6> E92E 4@F=5 AC@E64E J@F[β D96 D2:5] βxEβD E@ =:G6 π 2 A=246 H96C6 E96C6 π ?@ =2H] x 5@?βE E9:?< 2?J@?6 π E96 &]$] 42? C62=:K6 9@H 52?86C@FD :E :D]βk^Am
kAmr@?EC6C2D 2?5 w6C>@D@ D2:5 E96J 9@A6 E96C6 π 2 492?86 π E96 :?DE:EFE:@?D E92E 8@G6C? E96:C 9@>6 4@F?ECJ[ 2=E9@F89 2EE6>AED 7C@> H:E9:? E96 4@F?ECJ E@ >2<6 E9@D6 492?86D 92G6 72:=65 π E96 A2DE]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 @7 E92E[ E96JβC6 F?DFC6 H96E96C 2 &]$] :?E6CG6?E:@? H:== 36 23=6 E@ >2<6 2 D:8?:7:42?E :>A24E @? E96 4@?5:E:@?D E96J D2J >2?J ‘6?6KF6=2?D 2C6 DE:== =:G:?8 F?56C]k^Am
kAmβxβ> ?@E E92E @AE:>:DE:4[β r@?EC6C2D D2:5] βx? >J A6CDA64E:G6 W’6?6KF6=2? =6256CD9:AX π G6CJ DEC@?8[ D@ x 5@?βE @H H9@ π 23=6 E@ 56DEC@J E96 4@CCFAE:@? E96C6 ]]] 2 =@E @7 :??@46?E A6@A=6 5:65 ECJ:?8]βk^Am
kAmw6C 9FD32?5 D92C65 96C D<6AE:4:D>]k^Am
kAmβ(6βG6 D66? >F=E:A=6 E:>6D E92E E9:?8D 766= E96J 2C6 492?8:?8[ 2?5 E96? ?@E9:?8 92AA6?D[β 96 D2:5] β%96C6βD 2 3F:=5FA[ 2?5 E96? 6G6CJE9:?8 4@>6D 4CF>3=:?8] ]]] *@F 5@?βE H2?E E@ 86E J@FC 9@A6D FA ]]] x 86E >J 962CE 3C@<6? 6G6CJ E:>6]βk^Am
kAm~E96CD[ 9@H6G6C[ G:6H E96 =2E6DE 56G6=@A>6?ED π E96 r2C:3362? E9C@F89 2 9@A67F= =6?D]k^Am
kAmy@D6 r@?EC6C2D W?@ C6=2E:@? E@ |2C:2=6;2?5C2 r@?EC6C2DX[ fg[ 7=65 ‘6?6KF6=2 23@FE D6G6? J62CD 28@ H:E9 9:D H:76 |282=J #F:K 367@C6 D6EE=:?8 π (6DE6C? !6??DJ=G2?:2]k^Am
kAmr@?EC6C2D[ E96 7@C>6C 5:C64E@C @7 2 AF3=:4 D49@@= H9@ @AA@D65 E96 ‘6?6KF6=2? 6DE23=:D9>6?E 7@C J62CD[ D2:5 E96J H6C6 E96 E2C86ED @7 A@=:E:42= 2EE246?E E92E F=E:>2E6=J AC@>AE65 E96> E@ =62G6]k^Am
kAmp3@FE E9C66 J62CD 28@[ E96:C D@? 2?5 9:D H:76 ;@:?65 E96> π !6??DJ=G2?:2 27E6C E96 D@?[ 2 7@C>6C >6>36C @7 E96 4@F?ECJβD 962=E9 >:?:DECJ[ 2=D@ 3642>6 E2C86ED @7 D:>:=2C 2EE24
kAm}@H[ 2D &]$] 7@C46D 2>2DD @77 E96 4@2DE @7 ‘6?6KF6=2 H9:=6 %CF>A 4@?E:?F6D E@ AFD9 7@C |25FC@βD C6>@G2=[ E96 72>:=J D2:5 E96J 2C6 @AE:>:DE:4 E92E 492?86 >2J 7:?2==J 36 @? E96 9@C:K@?]k^Am
kAmβ~FC 4@F?ECJ ?665D :?E6C?2E:@?2= 96=A[β r@?EC6C2D D2:5] βt?@F89 =:G:?8 F?56C 2 5:4E2E@C] ]]] #:89E ?@H[ :EβD A@D:E:G6 7@C E96 ‘6?6KF6=2? A6@A=6]βk^Am
kAmpE E9:D A@:?E[ E96J D2:5[ :E >2J 6G6? E2<6 H2C 7@==@H65 3J 2 564256D=@?8 C63F:=5]k^Am
kAmβ’6?6KF6=2 92D 2=C625J 925 H2C 7@C ad J62CD[β #F:K D2:5[ βxEβD 3642FD6 @7 E92E H2C H6 2C6 96C6] tG6? :7 E96 &]$] 7C66D ‘6?6KF6=2 β 2== @7 :E β E96C6 H:== DE:== 36 A@4<6ED @7 E96 D2>6 4@CCFAE:@?] ]]] tG6? :7 |25FC@ 2?5 9:D 8C@FA =62G6D[ :E 4@F=5 E2<6 2?@E96C ad J62CD 7@C E96 A6@A=6 E@ C63F:=5 ‘6?6KF6=2 3642FD6 E96 AC@3=6> π E96C6βD D@ >F49 A@=:E:42= A6CD64FE:@?]βk^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ H9:=6 r@?EC6C2D 2?5 9:D 72>:=J D2:5 E96J 2C6 9@A67F= E92E 2 3C:89E6C 7FEFC6 >2J 36 A@DD:3=6 π E96:C 9@>6 4@F?ECJ H:E9 &]$] :?E6CG6?E:@?[ E96J 2=D@ D2:5 E96J 762C E92E E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?βD 7:6CJ C96E@C:4 C682C5:?8 :>>:8C2E:@? 92D 8:G6? p>6C:42?D E96 :>AC6DD:@? E92E >2?J ‘6?6KF6=2? :>>:8C2?ED 2C6 5CF8 EC277:4<6CD @C G:@=6?E 4C:>:?2=D]k^Am
kAmβ(6 2C6 96C6 3642FD6 E96 D:EF2E:@? π @FC 4@F?ECJ 7@C465 FD E@ >:8C2E6[ =236=65[ 2D :7 ‘6?6KF6=2?D 2C6 E96 H@CDE[ E92E H6 3692G6 325=J[ 3FE ?@E 2== @7 FD 2C6 =:<6 E92E[β D2:5 |2C:6=: p=G2C6K[ r@?EC6C2D 2?5 #F:KβD 52F89E6C\:?\=2H] β(6 H2?E E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ E@ D9@H E92E H6 2C6 8@@5 A6@A=6]βk^Am
kAm(9:=6 @A:?:@?D G2CJ 2>@?8 D@>6 ‘6?6KF6=2? A2C:D9:@?6CD 2E $E] ~D42C #@>6C@ @? H96E96C 2 &]$] :?E6CG6?E:@? H:== C6DF=E π A@D:E:G6 492?86D 7@C E96 4@F?ECJ[ E96 D:EF2E:@? C6>2:?D 2 E6?D6 @?6 7@C 2== @7 E96>]k^Am
kAm|2C:2?86=: #@3:?D@?[ ae[ =67E ‘6?6KF6=2 E@ >@G6 π H:E9 D@>6 C6=2E:G6D π E96 C68:@? 23@FE E9C66 J62CD 28@ E@ 3F:=5 2 36EE6C =:76 7@C 96CD6=7[ 2=E9@F89 >@?:E@C:?8 H92E 92D 366? 92AA6?:?8 π 96C 9@>6 4@F?ECJ 92D =67E 96C @? 6586]k^Am
kAmβxEβD 2 C@==6C 4@2DE6C[β D96 D2:5] βxEβD F?AC65:4E23=6] *@F 42?βE 56E6C>:?6 H92E H:== 92AA6? E@52J @C E@>@CC@H 3642FD6 6G6CJE9:?8[ 23D@=FE6=J 6G6CJE9:?8[ <66AD 492?8:?8]βk^Am
kAm#@3:?D@? D2:5 D96 C6>2:?D F?DFC6 @7 H92E &]$] >@E:G6D 2C6 π E96 r2C:3362?[ 2?5[ H9:=6 D96 9@A6D 7@C E96 36DE[ :E C6>2:?D ?6CG6\HC24<:?8]k^Am
kAmβ(6 5@?βE @H :7 :EβD ECF=J H2C @C >2J36 A2CE @7 2 DEC2E68J[ 3FE 2?JE9:?8 E92E π 7@C E96 8@@5 @7 >J 4@F?ECJ[ H6 H2?E E96> E@ 36 E96C6[ 2?5 DE:== :E 766=D G6CJ 5:DEC6DD:?8[ 2?5 >2?J E:>6D 9@A6 92D 366? =@DE] (6βG6 366? 562=:?8 H:E9 E9:D 7@C DF49 2 =@?8 E:>6]βk^Am
kAm#@3:?D@? D2:5 :7 E96 >:=:E2CJ 4@?7=:4E 6?5D FA @44FCC:?8 @? ‘6?6KF6=2? D@:=[ D96 2?5 2== E9@D6 H9@ 92G6 =67E 2=D@ H:== 36 27764E65]k^Am
kAmβtG6? E9@F89 H6 2C6 A9JD:42==J 96C6[ @FC D@F= π DE:== E96C6[β D96 D2:5]k^Am
Stay informed: Sign up for news alerts, morning news headlines and sports highlights to keep updated on news that matters to our community.