The last few months have passed with many “without”s for Yulimar Rojas. The athlete Venezuelan The triple jumper was left without the Pan American Games at the end of last year, after saying that he preferred to focus on his physical preparation for the Olympic Games from Paris; however, shortly after, an injury also left her unable to represent her country in the French capital.
But perhaps the most recent “without” is the most painful for the world champion: no respect.
While the awards and distinctions are still there for the Olympic gold winner in Tokyo 2020, His support for the Nicolás Maduro regime has not only overshadowed his image as a sports figure in the South American countrybut it has also led her to become the object of countless criticisms by her compatriots, who have taken to the streets in different cities across the country to protest the results of the presidential elections, offered by the National Electoral Council, subservient to the regime, this past Sunday.
Rojas, 28, was scheduled to serve as Venezuela’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the Paris games last week – which ultimately fell through – but has also been the standard-bearer for the Maduro regime in multiple advertising campaigns, including those of Venezuela’s state-dominated central bank.
On Sunday, during the electoral process in Venezuela, images were published of Rojas and other members of the Creole delegation in Paris exercising their right to vote from France, despite the fact that millions of Venezuelans abroad were unable to do so due to the various obstacles presented by the regime.
This led to a wave of messages against Rojas on social media, far from what the Venezuelan Olympic Committee had expected, which soon after deleted the post.
While many Venezuelan athletes, such as major leaguer Willson Contreras and soccer players Jon Aramburu and Deyna Castellanos, have expressed solidarity with the protesters in Venezuela and called for peace and respect for free speech in the nation, thereby earning the admiration of their compatriots, the story is very different for Rojas, whose jumps are impressively long but whose reputation, in the eyes of her people, is increasingly deplorable.
