in february 2019, donald trump presented the former mayor ("one of the youngest mayors in venezuelan history") to a miami crowd of fellow venezuelan expatriates with the following words: "sadly, david is the third generation of his family to flee the agony of socialism and communism. david’s grandparents fled the soviet union in 1927, and his father fled communist cuba in 1970." the us president added that"as david said, 'the difference i want to have from my father and grandfather is to go back to my country.' [applause] 'my grandparents never went back to kiev… my father has not been back to havana. i hope i can [soon] return to venezuela.' [applause] i think that will happen, david.”