Venezuela's 'first lady' gets keys to city of Miami, Miami-Dade County

MIAMI – After meeting President Donald Trump in Washington and first lady Melania Trump in Palm Beach, Fabiana Rosales, the 26-year-old mother the White House welcomed as the first lady of Venezuela, is spending time in Miami-Dade County.

On Friday, Mayor Carlos A. Giménez gave Rosales a key to Miami-Dade County while praising the political activist's efforts to push for change in Venezuela. During her visit to City Hall, there was a round table discussion and a news conference. 

Rosales told reporters she was in Miami to represent all of the mothers who are suffering in Venezuela. She said the shortages of food and medicine are hurting vulnerable children the most. Giménez is supporting Rosales drive for humanitarian aid Saturday in Doral. 

"I am very familiar with the plight of the Venezuelan people. I was born in Cuba and came here when I was 6, so I understand what totalitarianism is," Giménez said. "I know about dictatorships and what socialism means."

Rosales also received the key to the city of Miami from Mayor Francis Suárez in Brickell Friday. She has a tight agenda in South Florida this weekend.

On Saturday she will be collecting humanitarian aid at Oscar’s Moving and Storage near Doral. On Sunday, she will attend Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity and meet with Venezuelans at 4 p.m. at the Miami-Dade College campus in Doral. 

Rosales has been under the spotlight since Trump recognized her 35-year-old husband, Juan Guaidó, as Venezuela's interim president. In January, Guaidó invoked Venezuela's 1999 constitution as the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly to assume the interim presidency. 

Miami-Dade County is providing security for the events. Rosales, who was born in Merida and became an activist as a journalism student in Zulia, and Guaidó, an engineer and Leopoldo Lopez's protégé, have a 1-year-old daugher named Miranda Eugenia and a Labrador named Regulo.

Rosales worked as a spokesperson for local governments in Caracas and wed Guaidó in 2013. After her meeting with Trump, Maduro's administration announced Guaidó is banned from public office for 15 years. Rosales responded on Twitter. 

"Despite the persecution, intimidation and even kidnappings of those who fight for a better Venezuela, the work has not stopped," Rosales wrote in Spanish. "Our commitment to Venezuelans is stronger than any low blow by the usurpers."

Intelligence agents detained Guaidó's chief of staff accusing him of terrorism. Despite the threats from Nicolas Maduro, Guaidó's activism hasn't stopped. 

Rosales also has the support of Lopez's wife, Lilian Titori, 40, a mother of two. In 2014, Lopez, 47, was arrested. He was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for his leadership during massive protests and has been under under house arrest since 2017.

   FLASHBACK TO COVERAGE