Posted on Fri, Sep. 24, 2010

It's been more than two decades since Patricia Andrade left Venezuela, but it only takes her a short drive into the city of Doral for her to feel at home.

``When I'm in Doral I am transported to my country,'' said Andrade, a political activist who advocates for human rights in her home country and works with newly arrived immigrants in South Florida. ``You go buy hotdogs with Venezuelan flavor on the corner, you can buy delicious arepas and cachapas. That's why they call it Doralzuela.''

The nickname is a testament to the influence of the Venezuelan community on the west Miami-Dade city, which ranks first in the United States among municipalities with the highest concentrations of residents from the Latin American country. The city's unofficial name appears on the occasional bumper sticker affixed to cars parked at strip malls. A novelty shop at nearby Dolphin Mall once sold T-shirts emblazoned with the moniker -- a linguistic combination of Doral and Venezuela.

Even Sushi Joe, a neighborhood Japanese eatery on Doral Boulevard and 95th Avenue, boasts an unlikely homage on its menu: the ``Doralzuela roll,'' a sweet and savory dish that combines fried plantains and cream cheese surrounded by white rice.

While the suffix has also been applied to Venezuela-friendly Weston -- a.k.a. Westonzuela -- Doral has become the Miami-Dade gathering point for expats looking to put down roots in a new country or vent their frustrations with developments back home.

The number of Venezuelans arriving in South Florida swelled dramatically in the years after Hugo Chávez rose to power in 1998, with many leaving the country out of concern for Chavez's leftist politics and fears of economic and political upheaval. The exodus coincided with the last decade's spate of development in Doral, home to a slew of office parks and subdivisions.

``The birth of Doral coincided with the first silent exodus of the Venezuelans,'' said Andrade, whose work with the Venezuela Awareness Foundation takes her frequently to Doral.

The city is home to a handful of locally published newspapers and periodicals aimed at the Venezuelan community, with news of developments in Venezuela running alongside local ads for private schools, orthodontists and others trying to reach ``Doralzuelans.''

Local groups vocal in their criticism of Chávez have protested on street corners in Doral.

Perhaps no other Doral establishment has become known as the go-to spot for Venezuelans than El Arepazo, a cafeteria-style eatery tucked alongside a Citgo station at 10191 NW 58th St.

``Whenever there is a development in Venezuela, people gather at Arepazo,'' said Lorenzo Di Stefano, one of the owners. While the original El Arepazo has been closed since a 2009 fire -- the gas station and mini-mart remain in operation -- the owners have opened up a second restaurant, appropriately called El Arepazo2, at 3900 NW 79th Ave. The original El Arepazo is set to reopen this fall.

Di Stefano and his family arrived permanently in Doral in 2001. Settling his family and starting a business in the city was an easy decision: ``A lot of our friends were already here,'' he said.

Di Stefano's son, also named Lorenzo, said despite the fame of the family business, he feels little passion for either American or Venezuelan politics; he keeps busy with his studies as a business major at the University of Miami.

Likewise, his father says he takes no political stance.

``I was never into politics in Venezuela. People come here and they ask for our help, and we give them the space to gather in a private setting.''

Venezuelans flocked to the original eatery to satisfy their passion for dominoes, sports -- beisbol and fútbol -- and, of course, politics. Hundreds of flag-waving expatriates flooded the gas station's two-acre lot during the December 2007 Venezuelan election on constitutional reforms. Such gatherings earned the restaurant the title of the ``Venezuelan Versailles,'' a reference to the famed Calle Ocho eatery beloved by the Cuban exile community.

``As a Cuban-American, I have a lot of sympathy for what Venezuelans have gone through,'' said J.C. Bermudez, mayor of Doral.

Last year, the city council issued a proclamation declaring April 13 a day to honor the Venezuelan exile community.

Doral may have the distinction of having the largest population of Venezuelans outside of Caracas, but Venezuelans by no means make up the majority. Bermudez says residents come from at least 77 different nations. Out of about 39,000 residents, 76 percent are Hispanic and 18 percent hail from Venezuela, according to the latest U.S. Census numbers.

``Just on my block, there's a Venezuelan married to a Colombian, a Guatemalan married to a Bostonian, and a Peruvian on the corner,'' Bermudez said. ``Venezuelans are an important part of the community . . . I'm glad that community is finding its identity.''