Transcription
Me now is Tatiana Padron. Tatiana, thank you so much for joining me here on KCTV 5 Plus. Um, I want to jump straight into it. You know, you currently live in Kansas, but you are originally from Venezuela. Uh, taking into consideration all the breaking news that came in from overnight. What was the first thing that ran through your mind when you heard everything?
>> It was a mix of of emotions. uh it is not easy to see your country uh with strikes. Um but for another hand I feel relief, I cry, I am happy for this news. I know this is for many people contradictory but for us that we has been fighting with this terrorist narco regime for more than 30 years is a relief for all the Venezuelans.
And I want to touch on just the overall opinion um of um the leader there and everything that happened overnight, but I also want to ask you, I mean, have you been able to reach any of your family and friends that still live in Venezuela? And if so, what are they telling you in this moment as well?
>> Well, yes, actually it was my sister who called me this morning. I was asleeping and uh she gave me the news. Uh my family, my sisters and brothers lives there in Venezuela. I am the youngest of my family and yes they are there and they are fine. Um they are in home of course they are nervous for what happened but they knew that this is going to happen eventually because we were waiting for this.
And what did they see or maybe hear overnight? Were they able to kind of describe that for you as well? Because I know these air strikes the the explosions happened early this morning.
>> Yeah, apparently it was at 2 am. Uh I have uh some relative close to the fuertuna that is where they uh the the army um main army uh is in Karacas and the they said that explosion were really strong. Uh but it seems that this w this was really strategic and tactical. So they they didn't bomb the city. they they just strikes uh the points that they were they knew that they were uh the people that they were looking for or what they wanted to to hit in order to to take Maduro.
>> And they did.
>> And so it is safe to say that they are safe, your family and friends back in Venezuela. Um and where are they right now? Do you know that Tatiana? because I know that there's a lot of protests um a lot of people celebrating in the streets of Venezuela right now.
>> They are at home. We are expecting because taking Maduro is a big huge announcement and release for all the Venezuelans. However, this is not the finish Maduro and on the and they are they are responsible for so many atrocities and they are al also four more leaders that they need to take down. Dio Cabo uh who is the law enforcement in the streets on my country and one of the most uh dangerous people and um Patrino Lopez who is the leader of the army in my country and the brothers Rodriguez um Deli Rodriguez and Jorge Rodriguez they are really really dangerous people and if they don't take these people down uh they will they will trying to re instate this government, the illegitimal government. I want to make clear this, this is not a legitimate government. Maduro, we won the elections. We have a president elected by vote. So these people, they are just taking our country. And I want to make this really clear because people don't understand or there is people that maybe especially here in United States, people who speak English and they don't understand the situation in in Venezuela. Uh this is this is a a regime that took my our country. So we are not and this is not invasion. We were invade already many years ago for Cubans, Iran, Iran and al-Qaeda and all these bad people that they are there.
And you know what? I want to take a look at this video um of the devastation Tatiana and you touch on the fact that Maduro and so many others took your country. Can you kind of elaborate on that for me? I mean, in what ways were they able to do that?
>> Again, see uh strikes in my country is not easy. I am a peace person. I I do not uh it's a it's a mix of of situation. that image that you show me it seems that is in the in the in the foruna uh I don't know if there is more people die I am not sure I hope no those are Venezuelan and of course that hurts my heart but again there were no other way to stop this and this and I want to make crystal clear for the people especially here in United States.
>> the the dangers of my the that of this regime is it was so close to our country to United States. I am American citizen now and I understand the dangers that the President Trump is seeing in this situation that is China was eight hours the day before the China was there and they were trying to took the force of China was trying to help regime of Maduro to attack the United States that's what they are saying.
>> so is China is Iran is al-Qaeda is all is Russia and is only two hours Venezuela uh from Florida. We need to see that point. We need to see this in a in a huge perspective. Not only in this in the in what is happening in this moment. What is happening is this in this moment is sad. I am not happy for this. Um it's a mix of emotion. I'm happy that they they take him. But for another hand, I feel sad. Is we we don't want this. We didn't want this. We are the Democrat. We won and we vote and we won our elections two years ago. We elected our president. Edmundo Gonzalez is the president of Venezuela. No Maduro.
>> No. And I think.
>> I want to.
>> Yep. Go ahead.
>> No, go for it. You know, I I think you're adding a lot of clarity to this situation for us. Um, Tatiana, for those who don't really know much about Venezuela, and you know, I do want to take a look again at this devastation because I didn't have it up too much. And I know you said it brings up a lot of emotions for you as I can only imagine. You're from this area. You've been in this area. You have family and friends there as well. Is this something this breaking news that we're dealing with here today? Is this something you ever thought you'd see happen in your lifetime?
Tatiana, [sighs]
>> I never thought that we will be in this situation, but we has been trying everything that we could for the exactly the the years that my daughter has 26 26 27 years. We has been fighting doing a strikes, voting and voting. How many elections we did? We has been trying everything with the international organizations, speeches outside with Maria Karina Machado and all that democrats before that they try to to make the pe the wall understand how dangerous was this situation. This is a really dangerous situation because these people took our country and as I said this regime is not legitimotterrorist they have uh u it's not only narot the drug dealers narotist and they they has been torturing killing so many people the atrocities that happened in Venezuela you don't have it will it will start coming if we really relieve if my my my country and my country will be free. So we will start seeing all the atrocity that this these people did in my in my people. We have 8 million Venezuelan out of our country. Families destroyed separate for this situation. And yes, it is mixed. I I don't know if if I am relieved, I'm sad and [clears throat] happy. is it's really a mix of emotions, but I knew that this needs to be happen. It it was the only way and I'm glad that they took him and I I and the only that I can say is this is not the finish. As I said before, there is more there is four leaders that they need to take. If they don't take these leaders, this is they are going to trying to restituate this this government and it will be really difficult. They don't they don't care to kill people. They don't care to kill people.
>> I think the most powerful thing you just said there to me is that this is not finished. Um to you I hear that relief. I also hear that um confusion. I also hear the anger as well. Um but I also hear that you know we're not done yet. There's still work that needs to be done. Tatiana. Um and so with that, what do you think happens next for Venezuela? What would you like to see happen next for your hometown area?
>> I would love to see Padrino Lopez, Josado Cabo, and the brothers Jorge Rodriguez and and Deli Rodriguez also in jail. They need to be in jail. These people, they are the heads of these atrocities, taking people in jails and killing people and um kidnapping kidnapping so many politicals and and and and Venezuelan civilians. So if we don't take all these people uh as I said this is not finished. I I I pray for my country. I pray for my people. I thank uh all the people that is working really hard to restituate the freedom in my country. I really thank with all my heart and I pray for all my people. Um I open my heart to to the good things that they are coming. I know that coming there is a lot of work to do in my country and there is a lot of people working really hard. Maria Corina Machado, Edmundo Gonzalez, they are working really hard and there is all these people working behind the scenes in the opposition side trying to restituate a uh legitimate government with democracy and peace that this is what we want. We always win with peace. Always for seven for for 27 years we has been in the streets fighting for democracy and vote. That's why Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel Prize. That's why because we Venezuelans we are peace people. But sometimes there are situations like this uh that you we don't know that is that is the as you say it's not confusion. It's just it is contradictory. I know that I'm talking about democracy and peace and we need to take these people exactly in the way that they they did there. They there were no another way. We didn't have guns. Civilians in Venezuela, we don't have guns. They took all the guns. They control the people. They control everything there. So, there were no another way. And if we needed to stop this, not only for the security of Venezuela, it's for security of the region. And this is something that people needs to understand. This is bigger and huge that we see. Venezuela is the second country of oil. All the money that we make is it's a is a really huge country with a lot of money. And where is that money? They took all the money and destroy our country. Our country, the people is is starving. They don't have food. My sisters has >> [clears throat] >> $2 pension and with that is it they need to leave $24 I don't remember exactly but it's something like that. So it's it's just this is not h this needs to be stopped and I am I'm happy for that for one hand and I know that this is not the finish. I know that we need to keep working and the all the good people of Venezuela that we are living outside there is a lot of people that they will come back that they will trying to do the best and we will trying to resituate the democracy in our country because there is not a democracy there in this moment it's a dictatorial terrorist government who kill people.
>> and Tant Tatiana with everything that happened within the last few hours several hours I should say and your family and your friends they're still there in Venezuela What would you tell them here in this moment?
>> I love you. Hold tight. We are with you with all of you there. And I know there is a lot of people good people there even in the army and I call all the army in my country. see this and you need to put in the correct side of the history because today January 3rd that we are writing another another chapter in the history of my country and we need to start writing a good a good uh chapter of democracy of peace. So all the people in the army in my country peace put beside of the civilians put beside them walk with them because we want freedom. I don't know if you see the videos on Instagram of people yelling freedom from the buildings of my country. Everybody was just saying freedom freedom freedom for all the buildings in my in the countries in Karacas and all the cities. They are just happy.
>> this is happening.
>> You know what, Tatiana? We are seeing that um all over the country. This is video coming in from Miami, Florida right now. And um something you just said there that touched me um is just we're writing a new chapter in history for your country today. I want to thank you so much for your courage and um just taking the time to sit down and chat with me today. And this will not be the last time that we speak. So, thank you again so much. I appreciate it.
>> No, I appreci all the opportunity to talk for all the Venezuelans that they're living here in the Kansas City area and all the Venezuelan they are in every country in the world. Uh 8 millions of Venezuelan we are celebrating this day. H as I said it's a mix of I cry I'm happy I don't know what can I feel but we has been waiting for this for so long. you don't have idea and that's why for me it was really important to talk especially for the American people that they need to understand how important is for us and how important is now that I am American to maintain our democracy and our freedom don't take for granted what we have we need to care what we have we need to care this liberty and freedom that we have here because these communist they work they don't care how long will take they don't take they erosion all the powers. That's the way because that's the number one question that every all Americans make to me is how did it happen? Why didn't it stop it? We has been fighting for 27 years trying to do this correctly with democracy and they just with money, with power, with corruption, paying people and erosionally and po and and propaganda and and with liars, a lot of liars, they changed the the course of our history and they made this happen. this totalitary and cruel and a ter terrible government that we had for many years. So yes, this is also a message for us that we need to care what we have. We don't want this happen in any place, but we we are going to restitute our democracy. That's is all Venezuelan. We're going to start happen working for that. And you will see that a lot of Venezuelan that they are living outside, they will come back as soon as it's finished because we want to build a new Venezuela, prosperous, um, beautiful as we used to.