""It was definitely a huge, huge surprise," said Reinaldo Istanboulie (30) from the Venezuelan capital of Caracas who has been living in Dublin for seven years. "A lot of people inside my family, who are still there, were always saying 'we're still waiting for the hit to come', but nobody really knew what it would look like." Reinaldo Istanboulie (30) from Venezuela has been living in Ireland"
"Despite the expectation of some escalation in US action, Mr Istanboulie said the "lightning strike" quickness of the attack has left his family back home in disbelief. The mounting tensions between his country and the US forced him to decide against returning home for the Christmas out of fear of what could kick off. "It definitely affected me, and also a lot of Venezuelans who were planning on going home and who were left stranded in airports all across Europe.""
Nicolas Maduro was captured by US forces following strikes on the Venezuelan capital. Venezuelans in Ireland reacted with shock and disbelief. Many families in Venezuela had feared an attack but did not anticipate the rapid "lightning strike" nature of the operation. Rising tensions with the US had already deterred some expatriates from returning for the holidays. Travel disruptions left Venezuelans stranded at airports across Europe. The capture and the suddenness of the military action have increased fear among diaspora communities and disrupted plans for Christmas travel and family reunions.
Read at Irish Independent
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