Venezuelan writer and journalist Karina Sainz Borgo, author of the newly released novel Nazarena (Alfaguara), expressed skepticism about a potential political transition in Venezuela following the U.S. Military intervention and the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3rd. She believes that while U.S. President Donald Trump “has decapitated the regime, the skeleton of the monster remains intact.”
Sainz Borgo, who has resided in Spain since 2006, returns to Venezuela thematically with her new work, which explores the disintegration of a family grappling with madness and violence in the late 19th century. The release of Nazarena coincides with the Latin American premiere of the film Aún es de noche en Caracas, an adaptation of her debut work, La hija de la española, directed by Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugas and produced by Edgar Ramírez. The film centers on themes of grief—for a mother and for a country consumed by violence.
Sainz Borgo views a transition led by Delcy Rodríguez, the current interim president, as a continuation of the Chavista regime, considering both Rodríguez and Parliament President Jorge Rodríguez “as culpable” as Maduro. She suggests that any U.S. Agenda is “clearly economic, not political.”
Regarding the release of political prisoners, Sainz Borgo refrains from calling them “liberations” due to the lack of guarantees and freedoms, citing the case of Juan Pablo Guanipa, who remains under house arrest despite his release. She stated, “I don’t believe for a second that Trump’s agenda is democratic. When I saw my city bombed by the United States, it seemed offensive and terrible. I understand that the capture of Maduro had a restorative element, but that is not justice, that is foreign intervention.”
A Family Saga and an Ending Cycle
Nazarena, rooted in her own family’s history, is described as a prequel to her previous novels. The story, echoing the styles of Juan Rulfo and Federico García Lorca, unfolds in a home where eight sisters live under the shadow of a grieving mother. The protagonist, Nazarena, obsessively sweeps the yard to ward off misfortune.
Sainz Borgo notes that the story of the sisters fighting over a house serves as “a current political metaphor.” Her literary influences include William Faulkner and unreliable narrators—characters “wounded and unable to understand the world.” She also cites Latin American writers like Isabel Allende (The House of the Spirits) and contemporary authors Samanta Schweblin and Mariana Enríquez.
Her writing is characterized by a dark, violent, and sometimes nightmarish tone. Sainz Borgo attributes this to her interest in female characters who are often “bad mothers or daughters, bad heirs,” and to her own life experiences. She states, “Violence is part of my way of understanding and seeing the world.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Karina Sainz Borgo’s opinion on the current political situation in Venezuela?
Karina Sainz Borgo is skeptical about a potential political transition in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, believing that while the leadership has been removed, the underlying structures of the regime remain.
What is the central theme of Sainz Borgo’s new novel, Nazarena?
Nazarena explores the disintegration of a family grappling with madness and violence in the late 19th century, drawing on the author’s own family history.
What does Sainz Borgo think about the role of the United States in Venezuela?
Sainz Borgo believes that any U.S. Agenda in Venezuela is primarily economic and that the intervention, even with a “restorative element,” is ultimately “foreign intervention” and not necessarily democratic.
Given the author’s expressed skepticism about the potential for genuine political change in Venezuela, what factors might prove most crucial in determining the country’s future?
