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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — In Venezuela, happiness resonates with a unique intensity. It’s richer, more vibrant, and profoundly felt.
The rarity of joy in Venezuela makes it even more precious. Often suppressed by authoritative forces or stifled by self-censorship to avoid imprisonment, happiness in Venezuela seems elusive on both personal and collective levels.
However, on Wednesday, the nation basked in a rare moment of elation. Emotions ran high as Venezuelans wept, cheered, danced, embraced, and celebrated with drinks following their national team’s thrilling 3-2 triumph over the United States in the World Baseball Classic final the night before.
“We hadn’t been able to express this happiness that we are eager to shout,” remarked Deyanira Machado, a hairdresser, as she stood outside her salon in Caracas, the bustling capital.
Unlike many aspects of life in Venezuela, the score displayed on television screens across the country was definitive. It wasn’t subject to change in the next few moments or days, nor was it open to interpretation. People of all ages, regardless of their political stance or economic status, collectively exhaled after years of holding their breath.
“We had that happiness stored away to unleash it properly one day, like last night, and even better than last night,” Machado said.
The victory arrived after two dizzying months for Venezuelans.
They started the year seeing their authoritarian president of almost 13 years, Nicolás Maduro, spirited away in the night by the U.S. military and emerging handcuffed in New York City. Then they saw the White House work with ruling-party loyalists, not the political opposition, to try to turn the country around.
While thousands of Venezuelans abroad celebrated Maduro’s fall, nobody here dared to publicly express even a hint of approval. Brutal government repression, particularly after the 2024 presidential election, had taught them to restrain themselves from expressing facts or emotions that could be considered antagonistic.
Happiness, or dissent, was policed. People who celebrated what ample credible evidence showed to be a resounding win for the opposition candidate became government targets after electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner without presenting evidence to back their claim. Social media posts and WhatsApp statuses were enough to land someone in jail.
Fear, anger and disappointment festered. Even neighborhood group chats went quiet as disagreements with neighbors became too risky.
Venezuelans adapted yet again, always feeling like the other shoe is about to drop. Adults became solely focused on “resolver,” figuring out their every day, working one, two or three jobs to afford just food. Triple-digit inflation made anything but necessities a luxury.
Acting president Delcy Rodríguez declared a national “day of joy” after the game ended, making it a nonworking holiday for anyone except essential workers. Not that anyone needed permission to skip work or school. It was a given the moment the game ended and the noise began.
People banged pots and pans across Caracas as a racket of honking horns from cars and motorcycles took over some roads. Venezuelans in public plazas sang the national anthem with tears streaming down their faces. The entire city seemed to be awake well past midnight. Grocery carts at 24-hour stores filled up with beer.
Unfiltered joy filled the streets and social media well into Wednesday. The red, yellow and blue flag hung from windows, waved from motorcycles and became a scarf.
“This championship isn’t just about a baseball game, as people may think,” hospital employee Lanjhonier Lozada said as he walked to work Wednesday waving a Venezuelan flag and high-fiving equally overjoyed strangers.
“This game is historic. Words fail me,” he said. “We are world champions! Who would have imagined it?”
Who would have? The myriad children who play in local leagues and dream of MLB careers. But it might have been harder for their parents to believe in the possibility. Adults, after all, have been hardened by a crisis that pushed more than 7.7 million Venezuelans to leave their country and saw world leaders use their nation’s name as a synonym for trouble.
So when the players lifted the trophy, they lifted the spirits of Venezuelans around the planet.
“This triumph isn’t just celebrated in Venezuela. In every corner of the world, there is a Venezuelan,” said Yenny Reyes, a mom of two young baseball fans.
“I’m convinced that this is Venezuela’s year,” she said. “This is the beginning of many good things to come for Venezuela.”
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