At the end of World War II, Romeo made his way from a poverty-stricken village in Italy to Venezuela. Like many other Europeans who undertook the same journey, he aspired to work and live in peace. Romeo entered the construction business with a “paisá.” The new country offered everything he desired: abundant opportunities, peace, and stability. The people were generous, open, welcoming, and warm. Romeo felt more at home than he ever did in Italy and vowed never to return to the miserable existence he had escaped.
The next 40 years were kind to him, and Romeo’s fortune grew exponentially. During this time, he not only managed to escape poverty but also ensured that his children received the formal education he never had, with all of them attaining graduate degrees. Given the considerable size of his business, Romeo understood that one day his children would take over. This certainty made him meticulous about their education.
At the time of his death, Romeo’s company owned approximately 300 properties in Caracas. One of these apartments, among the 300, is situated on Avenida Urdaneta, very close to the Central Bank of Venezuela and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A group of Chavistas, acting on presidential orders, had invaded the property. Romeo’s only daughter, previously a respected researcher at a multilateral organization, opposed the abuse and decided to return to Caracas from Geneva to regain control of the family’s assets.
She initiated legal proceedings, filing various requests with the appropriate authorities to reclaim possession of the property. Nothing happened. Time passed, and the authorities didn’t even acknowledge receiving the documentation detailing the problem. Given the circumstances in Venezuela, she devised a plan. With the help of the neighbors, Romeo’s daughter decided to wait for an opportunity, which arose one morning when all the Chavistas had left the apartment to run errands. Seizing the moment, she acted decisively: a corrupt police officer, a locksmith, and she herself met at the building’s entrance. The officer was paid a million bolivars to temporarily guard the entrance while the locksmith installed a new security door in the apartment. Meanwhile, Romeo’s daughter was horrified by the state of disrepair in the apartment.
Other neighbors observing the situation began texting the Chavistas. Within minutes, a group of 12 to 15 armed thugs arrived on motorcycles, ready to storm the building. The officer didn’t even consider calling for help or trying to negotiate and quickly exited. The armed thugs made their way to the seventh floor. Seeing this unfold, Romeo’s daughter locked herself inside the apartment and started screaming for help, desperately calling her family and the police. The first victim was the locksmith. He was brutally beaten and left unconscious. Meanwhile, the gang members shouted obscenities at Romeo’s daughter, saying, “We’re going to get you, you motherf***er!” as they tried to force their way in. In her absolute despair and terror, Romeo’s daughter arrived at a suicidal conclusion.
Amid the shocking and violent situation, neighbors and bystanders tried in vain to alert the authorities, as two government buildings were nearby. The guards at the Central Bank allegedly said they could do nothing. The crowd of assailants finally broke through. Once inside the apartment, they realized Romeo’s daughter wasn’t there but rather lying on the sidewalk. One of them picked up the locksmith’s welding machine and hurled it at the motionless body, missing by mere inches. An ambulance en route somewhere was stopped: as Romeo’s daughter was taken inside, the mob continued to beat her while she was unconscious, and the ambulance staff managed to finally escape.
Note: this event took place in December 2008. Names have been withheld for fear of retaliation. No authority wants to address the case, as the invading Chavistas appear to be part of the regime’s paramilitary groups.