SAN ANTONIO — For San Antonio’s Venezuelan population, Zulia’s Kitchen is more than a restaurant. It’s a gathering place where those in the diaspora can connect—exactly what owner Morelys Diaz always wanted it to be.

First opened as a food truck, Diaz has spent the last seven years building her business. They serve food from the northeast Venezuelan state of Zulia, where her family emigrated from 10 years ago.

“This is the spot for Venezuelans,” Morelva Ramos said. “This is where we get together for everything.”

On Jan. 3, they knew where to go. People flowed into the restaurant all day long to celebrate the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro with music, traditional food and many chants of “Venezuela libre.”

They know a lot more must be done to stabilize the country, but it was a moment, Diaz says, that deserved to be recognized.

“This is redemption for the many people who have died in the streets of Venezuela trying to achieve liberty and for all the political prisoners,” Diaz said through tears.

She knows the pain of political persecution well. In Venezuela, Diaz and her family were outspoken against corruption. When the government arrested her brother, she and her husband had no choice but to leave.  

For families like hers, the ousting of Maduro is hope they may one day be able to return. We asked Diaz if that was a possibility for her.

“I am not welcome right now,” Diaz said. “At least not for a few years.”

It’s the reality for many. With other members of the Maduro government still in place, she says simply coming from America puts a target on her back, especially as someone who publicly sides with the opposition.

“My political activism did not stop when I left Venezuela,” she said. “Zulia’s Kitchen has been the center of the Venezuelan opposition in this city since day one.”

During the 2024 Venezuelan elections, Diaz helped those with family living in the country confirm their voter registration—information many in Venezuela did not have access to, she said. The election results remain widely disputed.

Diaz says that although she’d love to return to Venezuela one day, it’s not safe yet. And after 10 years in Texas, she’s not ready to leave the life she’s built—again.  

“Wherever I am in the world, I’ll fight for my country,” she said. “I love my country. But now, this is my home. San Antonio is my home.”