Venezuelan Pianist Gabriela Montero Challenges ”Experts” on Decades of Crisis
NEW YORK – Venezuelan pianist and activist Gabriela Montero sharply criticized those now offering commentary on the Venezuelan crisis, questioning their absence during the country’s decades-long decline. Montero, a globally recognized musician, voiced her frustration on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on November 27, 2025, directly addressing individuals she termed “Venezuela experts” who have recently emerged to share their perspectives.
“Where where all the “Venezuela experts” the last 26 years as my country fell apart? Those new voices that have appeared out of nowhere to claim ownership of “truths”?” Montero posted. She further questioned their inaction during the height of the humanitarian crisis, asking, “Where were you when we sent boxes upon boxes of medicines and food as my country starved and our friends and family were dying without the basic care they needed?”
montero also highlighted the mass exodus of Venezuelans fleeing “the misery of collective impoverishment and violence caused by a criminal regime,” asking if those offering expertise had responded to their pleas for help. “You have not lived what we lived. You have not cried our tears. You do not know our history and you do not understand it,” she stated. “We cannot and will not tolerate one more second of this, much less 26 more years of pain and misery. We desperately need this to end.”
Montero has consistently used her platform to raise awareness about the Venezuelan crisis. In 2011, she composed “Ex Patria,” a symphonic poem depicting Venezuela’s devastation.In 2018, she was the first woman to receive the Beethoven Prize for artistic activism. Moast recently, in 2024, she was awarded the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissidence by the Human Rights Foundation for her commitment to human rights and democracy.
Currently residing in the United States, Montero continues to advocate for justice and visibility for the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis through international forums, conferences, and media appearances.