Interim First Lady of Venezuela Embarks on Tour of Latin America

Fabiana Rosales de Guaidó, the interim First Lady of Venezuela, has been travelling to various countries in Latin America as well as places in the U.S. in the past few weeks, acting as a voice for the Venezuelan people and the interim Guaidó administration. Rosales began her tour in Chile on March 19, and was most recently seen in Miami, Florida on March 30, spending time speaking to politicians as well as members of the Venezuelan diaspora wherever she has hosted events.

Fabiana Rosales is the wife of Juan Guaidó, who is currently recognized by 54 governments as the legitimate acting president of Venezuela. Venezuela is in the midst of a presidential crisis, with people being forced to pick sides between the Maduro and Guaidó administrations. Since January, Guaidó and his interim administration have garnered support from the Organization of American States, the European Union, and more than fifty countries including the United States, Colombia, Chile, Germany, Australia, and Argentina.

Rosales’ international tour began two weeks ago. The purpose of her travels throughout the region has been to meet with political leaders of various countries and raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in occuring Venezuela. In addition to the political chaos, Venezuela has also been plagued by frequent power outages and water shortages. However, Maduro, who is currently in charge of the government, has not allowed humanitarian aid in the form of food and medicine to enter the country, which is in dire need.

While in Chile and Peru, Rosales met with the countries’ respective leaders, Presidents Piñera and President Vizcarra. She thanked them for their continued support of the Venezuelan people. She also visited several universities and took part in events emphasizing the importance of democracy.

Rosales began her visit to the United States in New York City on March 26, at a Catholic Mass with the Venezuelan population in the city. Following this visit, she travelled to Washington, D.C. the next day to meet with various politicians, diplomats, and members of the Venezuelan diaspora with acting President Guaidó’s Ambassador to the United States, Carlos Vecchio. They met with President Trump, as well as Vice President Pence, both of whom have been very public about their support of Guaidó’s interim presidency.

Pence has stated, “We’re with you, and the United States is going to continue to stand with you, stand with your courageous husband, and stand with freedom-loving people in Venezuela until your libertad is restored.”

Rosales and Vecchio also met with policy-makers at the U.S. Senate, as well as with various ambassadors at the Organization of American States. On the evening of March 27, Rosales and Vecchio took part in a meeting with members of the Venezuelan diaspora at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. On March 29, Rosales travelled to Miami to meet with leaders of the city and to host a fundraiser for humanitarian aid for Venezuela.

Rosales says that her and acting President Guaidó’s goal will continue to be to free Venezuela of Maduro’s regime and dictatorship, as well as to help rebuild the country. In an interview conducted while she was in Lima she stated, “The greatest inheritance I can leave for my daughter is a free country.”