Related videos:
When Nicolás Maduro was escorted out of the federal court in Manhattan, handcuffed and under the custody of U.S. agents, a voice broke the solemn silence of the judicial process. It was not that of a prosecutor or a judge, but that of a young Venezuelan who, standing up, decided to speak aloud what millions have repeated privately and from exile for years.
"Nicolás Maduro, you are a criminal, and you will pay for all the harm you have caused to the Venezuelan people," was their cry.
The man who made that direct accusation is named Pedro Rojas. He is 33 years old, a political activist, and a former political prisoner under the chavista regime.
His story, marked by incarceration, persecution, and escape, was recounted in an interview given to Telemundo 51, following the shocking incident that took place on January 5 in the New York courthouse.
According to Rojas' account to journalist Ernesto Grillo, his reaction was neither improvised nor a result of a sudden impulse. It was an act of responsibility.
"I felt that I had to speak for those who were not there," she explained, referring to the thousands of Venezuelans who have been imprisoned, tortured, or forced into exile under Maduro's regime.
Pedro Rojas was born in the state of Zulia, and from a young age, he became involved in opposition politics. He served as the local coordinator for the party Primero Justicia, one of the main forces that for years denounced human rights violations in Venezuela.
That activism cost him his freedom; he was arrested, spent months in prison, and then remained under house arrest, monitored by the state's repressive apparatus.
Like so many others, he ended up escaping. He arrived in the United States seeking safety and freedom, but also with the scars of an experience that cannot be erased.
That’s why, when he saw Maduro appear before the U.S. justice system proclaiming himself “a decent man,” “a man of God,” and “a kidnapped president,” something shattered.
"You are not a man of God," he also shouted inside the room, as he confirmed in his testimony. Maduro responded by pointing to the sky and repeating his narrative of persecution, the same one he has used for years to justify absolute power and repression.
The moment was etched in the memories of those present and quickly went viral. Rojas explained that he did not speak only for himself. He spoke for those who could not leave the country, for those still imprisoned, for those who died without justice. And his gesture resonated beyond Venezuela.
Filed under: