Partial interview by reporter Joelle Engolia from CNN:
When were these photos taken? New Orleans during Venezuelan presidential elections.
So this movement of “Worldwide Venezuelans” was created to unite Venezuelans in foreign countries in order to vote? Tell me more about it. I created the hashtag #worldwidevenezuelans to start looking for way to identify all veneuelans who live outside Venezuela for many reasons. The most difficult in life is to emigrate and we are venezuelan citizen ambassadors to the world. I started blogging about how worldwide venezuelans are sharing what is going on en Venezuela and how they keep venezuelan traditions and culture wherevever are.
Are you a Venezuelan voter? Yes, I have voted in Miami, New Orleans on Octobetr 2012 and now under stormy conditions in New Orleans.
What do you and your fellow Venezuelans of the “Worldwide Venezuelans” think of the outcome of the election? Our sentiment in the bus from New Orleans to florida last night was that the election was robbed due to many ways to control the results including technicalities, programming, intimidation and fear. We all in the bus wanted 100% count of votes.
10. Do you all think that the new president will be a good one? No, Maduro got the numbers for a very narrow margen. In other countries, this situation is “too close to call”. A 100% recount of votes is needed. They are going to officially name a president elect and my vote in the US is not being counted.
How did it feel to be voting outside of your native country? As an US citizen by choice I really value the power of one vote. I was proud to participate in my first US election in the US where I know my vote counts. Voting in a Venezuelan election outside Venezuela is my right and responsibility. I expect that my vote is as important as the ones inside Venezuela.
Is there anything else you’d like to add? We are Worldwide Venezuelans because one day we decided to move to another country to bring a better life to our children and grandchildren. Now that I am a grandfather I understand the motivations of my own great grandparents. They came to the Americas for a better life but never forgot their roots. We are doing the same, we are US citizen and citizens of the world but we share our passion and our culture. We are Venezuelans wherever we are.
Dr. Lepervanche Global Learning 