CARACAS — Venezuela defeated the United States 3–2 in the World Baseball Classic final held in Miami. After the victory, Venezuelans poured into the streets in a loud release of joy.

Venezuelans cried, yelled, danced, hugged, and drank during the celebrations after the World Baseball Classic final. People in Caracas banged pots and pans and honked car and motorcycle horns on roads during the celebrations. Venezuelans in public plazas sang the national anthem with tears streaming down their faces.

People filled grocery carts with beer at 24-hour stores during the celebrations. Venezuelan flags were displayed from windows, waved from motorcycles, and used as scarves during the celebrations. Acting president Delcy Rodríguez declared a national day of joy after the game, making it a nonworking holiday for everyone except essential workers.

"We hadn't expressed this happiness that we want to shout," said Deyanira Machado, a hairdresser. "We had that happiness stored away to unleash it properly one day, like last night, and even better than last night."

"This championship isn't just about a baseball game, as people may think. This game is historic. We are world champions!" said Lanjhonier Lozada, a hospital employee. Venezuelans living abroad also celebrated the team's World Baseball Classic victory.

"This triumph isn't just celebrated in Venezuela. In every corner of the world, there is a Venezuelan," said Yenny Reyes, mother of two young baseball fans. "I'm convinced that this is Venezuela's year. This is the beginning of many good things to come for Venezuela."

After the 2024 presidential election, government repression discouraged Venezuelans from expressing dissenting emotions or facts. Electoral authorities declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of the 2024 presidential election without presenting evidence to support the result. Social media posts and WhatsApp statuses could result in imprisonment in Venezuela.

Neighborhood group chats in Venezuela became inactive due to fear of risk in disagreements. Venezuelan adults often worked one, two, or three jobs to afford food due to economic conditions, and inflation in Venezuela reached triple digits.