Juan Barreto: Those in power in Venezuela must take the first steps toward a national agreement'

"After a powerful explosion, the neighborhood where he lives in Caracas was left without electricity, as frequently happens due to the deterioration of public services. Like many Caracas residents, he also heard the metallic drone of airplanes. It was like a pressure cooker, with very high-pitched cicadas and crickets hitting your ears. There was a smell of smoke, on a very clear night, with a very clear sky and a full moon, he recalls of that early morning that changed the political landscape in Venezuela."

"After the initial anguish following the U.S. military attack, Barreto asserts that the country faces an enormous threat the loss of its sovereignty and, simultaneously, a significant opportunity: redemocratization. A leader within the Chavista movement, but estranged from the government for years due to his criticism of Nicolas Maduro, he considers the situation following the U.S. military intervention, which resulted in the capture and extraction of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to be deeply concerning."

"Like other politicians critical of the regime, he suffered harassment from the security forces at his doorstep. During the first prisoner releases following the forced change of leadership within Chavismo, Barreto reappeared in public. He was seen in a video released when security agents freed former presidential candidate Enrique Marquez in a Caracas neighborhood after a year in prison. Barreto gave him one of the first hugs he received upon his release. They have been friends for over 40 years,"

On January 3, Juan Barreto experienced a neighborhood blackout after a powerful explosion and heard the metallic drone of airplanes amid intense cicadas and a smell of smoke under a clear, full-moon sky. Barreto views the aftermath of a U.S. military attack as creating an enormous threat to Venezuela's sovereignty and simultaneously offering an opportunity for redemocratization. He is a longtime Chavista leader estranged from the government because of criticism of Nicolas Maduro. Barreto hid in forced seclusion for months after repression following the 2024 elections, suffered security harassment, then reappeared during early prisoner releases and embraced Enrique Marquez.

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