The ‘test’ of a new countryThis longing is shared by Angelica Angel, a 24-year-old student activist in exile.She had grown up with tear gas and police beatings in Venezuela. After all, she had started protesting at age 15.“They’ve pointed their guns at me, beaten me and almost arrested me. That’s when you realise that these people have no limits: They target the elderly, women and even young girls,” Angel said.But the increasing political repression ultimately made her life in Merida, a college town in western Venezuela, untenable.After 2024’s disputed presidential election, Angel decided to voice her outrage on social media.Maduro had claimed a third term in office, despite evidence that he had lost in a landslide. The opposition coalition obtained copies of more than 80 percent of the country’s voter tallies, showing that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, had won the race.Protests again broke out, and again, Maduro’s government responded with force.Military and security officers detained nearly 2,000 people, including opposition leaders, journalists and human rights lawyers.When Angel denounced the arbitrary detentions on TikTok, she began receiving daily threats.By day, anonymous phone calls warned her of her impending arrest. By night, she heard pro-government gangs on motorcycles circling her home.Fearing detention, she fled to Colombia in August 2024, leaving her family and friends behind.But living outside Venezuel …
