The Migration Policy Institute said that as of 2023, 770,000 Venezuelan immigrants lived in the United States. The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau puts 334,415 of them in Florida, with just under 13,000 in Hillsborough and more than 5,000 in Pinellas.
A small contingent waved flags outside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa last Saturday morning, after news that Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro had been seized by the U.S. and brought to New York where he will face drug trafficking charges.
Stephanie Rojas, who was born in the U.S. and is the daughter of Venezuelan immigrants, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that “Trump saved us,” referring to Nicolás Maduro’s 12-year rule over the country. “To see my family be happy, and for me to finally hope to go back to my country, it’s great,” she added…