Miami is also home to a large Venezuelan diaspora, with many in the business and entertainment community. The city is a gateway for Venezuelans to access resources, build networks, and start new lives. The community is vibrant and growing, and Miami’s relationship with Venezuela is an important part of its identity.
Alirio Torrealba is a Venezuelan businessman who has become the leading developer of homes in Coral Gables. He started in the business world at the age of 19, selling and buying used cars in Venezuela.
He had to leave Venezuela and in Miami, he went from valet parking to founding a successful event company. Fran Olivares sells houses, is an investor in real estate in the Florida area and also runs a gambling website in Costa Rica.
Colonel Miguel Ford, a Venezuelan firefighter with disabilities, has won first place in the Life Time Tropical 5k Miami race. Despite facing challenges and setbacks in his life, including several injuries that left him in a wheelchair, he has become a role model and inspiration to many.
It has always been my dream to own a restaurant, says Jairo Sanchez, who owns Mr. Arepa with his wife, Maria Gabriela Soto de Sanchez. This Venezuelan couple made that dream come true on December 16, 2022, when they reopened their restaurant in Miami Lakes.
Martinez, 29, arrives in Miami after a successful stint with Atlanta, in which he won an MLS Cup, a US Open Cup and a Campeones Cup, in addition to winning the MVP for the best player of the 2018 season and the Golden Boot, with 31 goals, that same academic year.