A baseball title reveals Venezuelans’ buried joy for years

Caracas, Venezuela 

There’s happiness, and then there’s Venezuelan happiness. It tastes sweeter. Loudly. Deeper.

Maybe because it doesn’t come that often. Or because it has been repressed by security forces and self-censored to avoid going to jail. Or because it seems collectively and individually unattainable.

But the country realised this on Wednesday. People cried, shouted, danced, hugged and drank alcohol after Venezuela’s 3-2 victory over the United States. Last night’s World Baseball Classic Finals brought out the emotion.

“We didn’t express the joy that we wanted to shout,” said hairdresser Deianira Machado outside a beauty salon in the capital, Caracas.

Unlike much else here, the score was final on television across the country. This was not going to change in the coming minutes or days. This was not a matter of interpretation. And young and old, politically active or not, rich and poor, exhaled after holding their breath for years.

Machado said, “We had that happiness stored up to be revealed one day properly, like last night, and even better than last night.”

The victory came after two difficult months for Venezuelans.

He began the year by watching Nicolás Maduro, the authoritarian president of his nearly 13 years, be driven away in the night by US forces and taken away in handcuffs in New York City. Then he saw the White House working with ruling party loyalists rather than the political opposition to try to bring about change in the country.

while thousands Venezuelans abroad celebrate Maduro’s fall No one here dared to express even a hint of approval publicly. Brutal government repression, especially after the 2024 presidential election, had taught them to restrain themselves from expressing facts or sentiments that could be considered oppositional.

Happiness, or disagreement, was monitored. What did people celebrate? Sufficient credible evidence showed that the opposition candidate had a landslide victory. Maduro came under government fire after election officials declared him the winner without presenting evidence to support his claim. Social media posts and WhatsApp statuses were enough to send someone to jail.

Fear, anger and despair became widespread. Even neighbourhood group conversations became quiet as disagreements with neighbours became too risky.

Venezuelans have once again adapted, always feeling like the other shoe is about to drop. Adults became completely focused on being “resolvers”, accounting for each day, working one, two or three jobs just to afford food. Triple-digit inflation has made anything other than necessities a luxury.

Acting President Delsey Rodriguez declared a national “day of happiness” after the games ended, making it a non-working holiday for anyone except essential workers. It’s not like anyone needs permission to skip work or school. This was the moment when the game ended and the noise began.

On some streets in Caracas, cars and motorcycles started honking their horns, causing people to bang pots and pans. Venezuelans sang the national anthem in public squares with tears streaming down their faces. Even after midnight the entire city seemed awake. Grocery carts are filled with beer at 24-hour stores.

There was complete joy on the streets and on social media on Wednesday. The red, yellow and blue flag hung from windows, was waved from motorcycles and became a scarf.

“This championship is not just about a baseball game, as people might think,” hospital worker Lanzonier Lozada said Wednesday, waving a Venezuelan flag and high-fiving strangers alike.

“This game is historic. “Words fail me,” he said. “We are world champions! Who would have imagined it?”

Who will it be? Countless kids who play in local leagues and dream of MLB careers. But this possibility must have been difficult for his parents to believe. After all, adults are made to be tough. A crisis that forced more than 7.7 million Venezuelans to flee their country And saw world leaders use their nation’s name as a synonym for trouble.

So when the players lifted the trophy, they were cheered on by Venezuelans all over the planet.

“This victory is not just celebrated in Venezuela. There is a Venezuelan in every corner of the world,” said Yeni Reyes, a mother of two young baseball fans.

“I believe this is the year of Venezuela,” he said. “This is the beginning of many good things to come for Venezuela.”

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Regina García Cano has covered Venezuela for The Associated Press from Caracas for four years.