Venezuelan Opp Leader Given Keys To The City
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles was honored Sunday morning in Doral.
Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado presented Capriles with a "Key to the City" as did Doral Mayor Luigi Boria, who is the first Venezuelan-born mayor in the United States. Doral has the largest population of Venezuelans outside of the South American country.
Capriles is the governor of the state of Miranda in Venezuela.
Miami Mayor Thomas Regalado said the event "demonstrated the exile community's solidarity in his fight for democracy in Venezuela."
Capriles is one of Venezuela's opposition leaders.
During a speech Sunday afternoon at the James L. Knight Center to an auditorium full of Venezuelans dressed in red, yellow and blue, the colors of the Venezuelan flag, Capriles urged thousands of his countrymen in Miami to stay active in pushing for change in the country they left behind.
Capriles vowed to continue peacefully advocating for change in Venezuela, and said he dreamed of the day all of those who have left return. He also urged them to continue pushing for the reopening of the Miami consulate closed in 2012.
Many stood in applause and called him their president.
Capriles narrowly lost the April 14 presidential election to late President Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro.
Capriles and his supporters claim Maduro stole the election through fraud.
