In Miami, seizing of Maduro hailed as historic move that puts Cuba on notice

Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald on Jan 3, 2026

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MIAMI — In Miami, the U.S. military’s seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is being trumpeted as not only a good day for the future of Venezuelan democracy, but potentially a prelude to a change in Cuba, too.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., posted on social media shortly after 5:30 a.m. that he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a fellow Miami Republican and Cuban American.

“Today’s decisive action is this hemisphere’s equivalent of the Fall of the Berlin Wall,” Gimenez wrote. “It’s a big day in Florida, where the majority of Venezuelan, Cuban & Nicaraguan exiles reside. This is the community I represent & we are overwhelmed with emotion and hope.”

“President Trump has changed the course of history in our hemisphere,” Gimenez wrote. “Our country & the world are safer for it.”

All three of Miami’s Republican, Cuban American members of Congress linked the overnight military action in Venezuela to allegations that Maduro has operated as the head of an illegitimate narco-trafficking regime.

Maduro was indicted in 2020 in the Southern District of New York on charges related to an alleged narco-terrorism conspiracy. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that the deposed Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

In an interview, Gimenez said Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, appears to now be in charge of Venezuela’s government. But the congressman also said he hoped the removal of Maduro would lead to momentum for the free and fair elections that the seized dictator had blocked.

“This is a big day for Venezuela. It’s the first step. Hopefully this will lead to the restoration of democracy,” he said. “But there is work to be done.”

Fellow Miami Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart linked the basis of the regime change to what he described as a flood of drugs and violent gang members from the country into the United States. “While others dithered, President Trump recognized this threat for what it is and acted with resolve,” he wrote.

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, who also represents Miami, called on the Venezuelan military to stand with the citizens of Venezuela, who voted last year in an election that the United States and other countries recognized as a victory for opposition candidate Edmundo González. Maduro claimed victory, despite voting tallies that showed he lost badly.

“The decisive moment has arrived. History will judge your actions. Stand with the Venezuelan people, respect the mandate expressed at the ballot boxes on July 28, 2024, and guarantee a peaceful and immediate transfer of power,” Salazar wrote.

Some local leaders quickly turned their gaze to Cuba, one of Venezuela’s crucial regional allies.

In a statement emailed to reporters before 6:30 a.m., Miami-Dade’s elected tax collector, Dariel Fernandez, celebrated the seizure of Maduro and added: “Now the time has come for Cuba.”

A Cuban American and Republican, Fernandez said the military action will be well received in the Miami area, home to thousands of Venezuelan Americans. “Here in Miami-Dade County, we understand what this moment represents,” he wrote.

Miami-Dade Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis issued a statement saying the Maduro seizure could be the start of leadership changes in Cuba and beyond.

“To the Venezuelan people fighting for liberty, you are not alone,” Milian Orbis, a Republican and Cuban American, said in the statement. “To the enemies of freedom in Havana and across our hemisphere, take notice. Your days are numbered.”

Anthony Rodriguez, the Republican chair of the County Commission, called the capture of Maduro “an important step toward accountability in our hemisphere.” He added: “For years, the Venezuelan people have endured corruption and repression, forcing many to seek freedom and refuge, including here in Miami-Dade.”