For a singer-songwriter who came to the United States from Venezuela seven years ago, the news that the U.S. had removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power was welcome news.
For a singer-songwriter who came to the U.S. from Venezuela seven years ago, the news that the U.S. had removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power was welcome news.
Jonathan Acosta, who made his home in Virginia, told WTOP in an interview that when he initially heard the news, he was overjoyed.
“The reaction was something like, ‘Oh, my God, we got it,’” Acosta said.
He explained that, in his eyes, Maduro was a dictator.
Acosta said there had been many human rights abuses under the Maduro regime. Maduro has also been accused of stealing elections.
“We don’t have a regular government, a conventional government, a normal government in Venezuela,” he said.
When he appeared in court to face charges of conspiracy and drug trafficking, Maduro said he was “captured” and pleaded not guilty.
Some Venezuelans living in the U.S., as well as Americans, have been critical of the military action and the lack of consultation with Congress before President Donald Trump’s administration deployed U.S. forces into Venezuela.
Acosta said if he were asked whether he would prefer Venezuela to be aligned with Russia, China or the U.S., “My response for you is very clear. I prefer the United States.”
At the same time, Acosta said it’s disheartening to see how Venezuelan immigrants as a whole have been portrayed as gang members and criminals.
“It’s true that Tren de Aragua came from Venezuela. That is true,” he said, while noting the majority of Venezuelan immigrants “are good people … working very hard.”
Acosta has performed locally, including at the Kennedy Center, and sang the national anthem at a Washington Wizards game in September 2024. He described that experience as important, because he felt he represented Venezuelans and the Hispanic community to a broad audience.
“I was singing to say ‘thank you’ to the United States,” he said of the experience.
Acosta has released a new album called “Americano Somos,” a nod to the cultures of North America, Central America and South America. The music spotlights what Acosta said he wants listeners to recognize, that all residents of the continents are Americans.
“With the music, we can bring hope, esperanza,” Acosta said. “That is my work, my job now.”