ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — When Omar Mayorga’s phone rang just before 1 a.m., the voice on the other end carried an urgency he could not ignore.

“Turn on the TV,” his uncle in Venezuela told him. “They are bombing Caracas.”

Mayorga, a Venezuelan broadcaster who has lived in the Asheville area for three years, began scrolling through news feeds and YouTube broadcasts from his home in Western North Carolina. What he saw — reports of U.S. military strikes on strategic sites in Caracas and the capture of Nicolás Maduro — triggered a rush of emotions that many Venezuelans abroad say they know all too well.

“It was relief and fear at the same time,” Mayorga said.

Relief that someone who caused so much damage might finally face accountability. Fear for the people who were asleep in their homes when the explosions started.

Maduro’s capture

President Donald Trump said Saturday that Maduro, Venezuela’s long-ruling leader, was captured following what Trump described as a “large-scale” U.S. military operation. U.S. officials said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown to the United States and now face federal charges in New York tied to an indictment alleging narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.

Maduro pleaded not guilty Monday during a brief court appearance in New York, setting the stage for what officials say could be a lengthy legal battle.

For Mayorga, the news was not just geopolitical — it was personal.

A veteran media professional who spent more than two decades working in Venezuelan broadcasting, Mayorga entered the United States on a tourist visa and later applied for asylum. He now works with Asheville Media Group’s Spanish-language radio station, La Pantera, while pursuing legal status.

“This is not about one party or one president,” Mayorga said. “This is the result of decades of political decisions that destroyed institutions, families and lives.”

He described Venezuela’s crisis as deeply layered — economic collapse, mass migration, repression and corruption — all converging into a moment that feels historic but fragile.

Talking with family

Millions of Venezuelans have fled the country in recent years, including many who now live in Western North Carolina. Mayorga said the events surrounding Maduro’s capture reopened wounds for those who left and intensified fears for those who remain.

“I talk to my family constantly,” he said, referring to relatives in Caracas and in the border state of Táchira, where he was born. “The first questions are always the same: Do you have food? Do you have water? Do you have electricity?”

In the hours after the strikes, Mayorga said relatives described panic buying, long lines at supermarkets and pharmacies and widespread anxiety about retaliation or instability. Days later, the mood shifted to what he called a “tense calm.”

“On the surface, things look quiet,” he said. “But underneath, people are confused and afraid. The same power structures are still there.”

That uncertainty worries him deeply, particularly as Venezuelan officials continue to insist the country is stable and free.

“That is simply not true,” Mayorga said. “What many people outside the country may not realize is that, right now, individuals are being arrested for expressing opinions on social media that contradict the government’s narrative. This policy was put in place even before his (Maduro’s) removal from Venezuela.”

Accountability and hope

Despite those fears, Mayorga said many Venezuelans, especially those watching from abroad, felt something they have not felt in years when Maduro appeared in a U.S. courtroom: accountability.

Outside the federal courthouse in New York, Venezuelans gathered to chant, cry and sing their national anthem. Videos of the scene circulated rapidly through diaspora communities.

“For many, it was the first time they felt justice was no longer abstract, but real,” Mayorga said.

Still, he cautioned against seeing the moment as an endpoint.

Rebuilding Venezuela, he said, will be a long and painful process, one that extends far beyond the fate of a single leader. He pointed to devastated public services, crumbling infrastructure, a collapsed health care system and institutions hollowed out by corruption.

“There is an effort by the Chavista system to present a colorful, polished image of the country. Maybe some areas have lights and fresh paint. But the reality is completely different,” Mayorga said.

“This is not a short road. It is a long one,” he said of rebuilding. “But for the first time in many years, there is a real possibility that Venezuela can begin that journey.”

The future

Venezuela has the potential to become an important strategic and economic partner for major global players, including the United States. With its technology, expertise and institutional experience, Venezulea could emerge with the U.S. playing a constructive role in helping rebuild and modernize, he said.

“I see this as a positive opportunity,” Mayorga said.

As a Venezuelan living in the United States, Mayorga said he also feels the weight of perception, the way Venezuelans are often viewed through the lens of crime or migration politics.

“We are not criminals,” he said. “We are workers, professionals, families. We are here to contribute. Venezuela is not the Tren de Aragua. In fact, Venezuela is not that criminal organization at all. That group was created and empowered under the Chavista system to terrorize the population and to damage the image of Venezuelans abroad. It does not represent who we are.

“Venezuela is coffee. Venezuela is beaches. Venezuela is work. Venezuela is love. Venezuela is joy, smiles and community.”

Mayorga credits Asheville and surrounding communities for offering support and acceptance, something he says not all Venezuelans experience elsewhere.

“We have found love, support and solidarity. I have experienced that personally,especially from you, from my colleagues, from this organization, and from the communities where I live and work, like Asheville, Arden, Black Mountain and Swannanoa. That has made a huge difference,” he said.

“Sadly, not all Venezuelans across the country have had the same experience. In some places, people are openly targeted or spoken to harshly. That’s why many of us insist that love, respect and hard work are the best way to introduce ourselves.”

Home

Even so, the dream of returning home remains complicated.

“Who doesn’t dream of going back home? Who doesn’t dream of waking up again in the city, the state, or the country where they were born?” he asked. “But without legal certainty, without security, it’s not realistic.”

For now, Mayorga remains connected to Venezuela through constant calls, messages and broadcasts — watching, waiting and hoping.

“My fear,” he said, “is that the transition takes so long that people lose hope again.”

Yet, despite everything, he believes the moment matters.

“This could be a turning point,” Mayorga said. “Not the end of the story, but the beginning of a very long road.”

And for Venezuelans, at home and in places like Asheville, he said that road is paved with something they refuse to give up.

“Hope,” Mayorga said. “That’s the one thing we still have.”