Trump visits Doral restaurant months after operator criticizes crackdown on Venezuelans

President Donald Trump visited the Venezuelan restaurant El Arepazo on Monday afternoon, in the heart of the Venezuelan community in the city of Doral, months after its operator said his immigration policies were hurting the business and discouraging Venezuelans from gathering in community spaces.

The visit, which lasted four minutes, came after a Trump trip to Doral for a multinational military cooperation initiative the administration has dubbed “Shield of the Americas.” The summit on Sunday at the Trump National Doral Miami resort brought together Latin American leaders to coordinate regional security cooperation, particularly against drug cartels and transnational crime.

Several Miami-Dade elected officials were inside El Arepazo during Monday’s visit, including three from Doral: Mayor Christi Fraga; Rafael Pineyro, the only Venezuelan-American member of the Doral City Council, and Councilwoman Nicole Reinoso. Also in attendance were Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor Alina Garcia and Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez.

Dozens of people lined up outside the restaurant for hours before Trump’s arrival. Many wore Republican Party paraphernalia and expressed support for Trump’s agenda; Venezuelan nationals were a noticeably smaller portion of the crowd, according to people the Miami Herald interviewed.

One Venezuelan attendee, Víctor Jiménez, 58, who described himself as a businessman, was the only person visibly displaying Venezuelan symbols, wearing a tricolor hat and carrying a Venezuelan flag. “I came to thank the president for what he has done for Venezuela, what he is doing with Iran, and what he is going to do for Cuba,” Jiménez said.

Jiménez referred to Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, who was Nicolás Maduro ‘s vice president before he was snatched by the U.S. military earlier this year, as “a puppet of Donald Trump who is taking orders from Donald Trump.”

For Jiménez, the current leadership in Caracas is temporary “until everything is organized in Venezuela to reach the transition,” referring to expected future elections.

Jiménez, who has lived in Doral for the past eight years, said he was part of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s team in the United States.

“When we clean up the Venezuelan state and get rid of all the garbage in Venezuela — Diosdado Cabello, [Vladimir] Padrino López, all the criminals who run the country — our leader, María Corina Machado, will lead the country,” Jiménez said.

Another Trump supporter, Gustavo Rodriguez, wearing a Make America Great Again hat, said he attended after being invited by his brother. Rodriguez, who left Venezuela 26 years ago and now works as a dog trainer and chef, said he was happy about recent developments in his homeland.

“I know there’s still a process of change, so things don’t go completely wild down there… I think this is the first time we’re seeing light at the end of the tunnel after 26 years,” he said. Rodriguez, 52, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, said he has spent roughly half his life in the United States. He described the U.S. as “an incredible country” and said he believed strong leadership was needed so “otherwise everyone takes advantage.”

When asked about Trump’s immigration policies — which have been controversial and are viewed by some Venezuelan residents as harmful to their community — Rodriguez first expressed support. But he later acknowledged the complexities.

“It’s a really delicate issue,” he said, adding that he believed some immigrants “have taken advantage…. A lot of people shouldn’t be here.” He conceded that such policies might unfairly impact people who are following the rules, but argued that “these are their rules, and they have to obey.”

Everybody was at the Trump event was there of the county Republican Party, whose chairman, Kevin Cooper was organizing the line to see the president and calling out names from a list.

Not every Venezuelan attendee was pleased with the event. Arlet Sosa, who had waited in line for three hours, was not allowed to enter El Arepazo despite having an invitation. She blamed event organizers for not permitting her and others to enter the building, leaving them to wait in the restaurant’s parking lot. Sosa left about an hour before Trump’s arrival.

“I’ve supported Trump from the beginning,” Sosa said. She and her husband had invited roughly a dozen Venezuelan businesspeople to attend, including professionals from finance, industry, medicine and academia. None of those invited were allowed inside the restaurant and were kept outside, she said, “corralled” in the parking lot.

“It was supposed to be an event at an iconic Venezuelan place, but none of the Venezuelan businesspeople we invited could get in,” she said.

A small crowd of fewer than a dozen people gathered outside El Arepazo, hoping to catch a glimpse of Trump. As he entered with the Secret Service, a few onlookers shouted, “We love you!”

For many Venezuelans in South Florida, El Arepazo, beyond offering nostalgic food and familiar flavors, has long served as a gathering place for protests, vigils and calls to protect Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans living in the United States, especially after changes to immigration policy created fear and uncertainty among the community.

Advocates and residents have rallied outside the restaurant to urge lawmakers to preserve those protections. And on the early morning of Jan. 3, hundreds of Venezuelans gathered there to celebrate, chanting and waving flags, after reports spread that Maduro had been captured by U.S. forces.

In fact, Alexis Mogollon, who operatees the business but does not own the restaurant nor the brand, said the establishment has struggled in recent months.

Mogollon, a Venezuelan immigrant who has lived in the United States for about 40 years, said in a Sept. 19 interview with media personality Jorge Ramos that the business was hit hard during the controversy surrounding the possible end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans under the Trump administration.

Mogollon, who has in the past described himself as the restaurant’s owner — though corporate records list Sunshine Gasoline Distributors Inc. as the official owner — said at the time that the drop in sales was tied to the immigration crackdown. He attributed the decline to fear within the Venezuelan community, saying many customers had stopped visiting Venezuelan restaurants because they worried about possible immigration raids.

At the time, Mogollon said the business was surviving largely because the restaurant operates alongside a gas station next door. The family has also relied on savings accumulated during more profitable years.

“We’re battling with the savings we built over the years when the business was successful,” he said.

Mogollon also said he had supported Trump in the past but felt disappointed by the impact of the immigration policies.

“I voted for Trump because I believed things could improve for businesses,” he said. “But I never imagined what is happening now with the immigration crackdown. I’m disillusioned. There are so many good people, so many Venezuelans who work hard.”

Trump’s visit to the restaurant comes at a moment when immigration enforcement and the future of protections for Venezuelan migrants remain contentious issues within the Venezuelan community in the U.S.

While many Venezuelans have celebrated the removal of Maduro from power, some remain cautious about the political future of their country and the role of interim president Delcy Rodríguez.

A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to Alexis Mogollon as the owner of El Arepazo, as he has described himself in interviews. Corporate records show that Sunshine Gasoline Distributors Inc. owns the location as well as the name El Arepazo.

This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 7:52 PM.