An opponent of the repressive regime of Venezuelan President Marcos Pérez Jiménez, she was credited with sparking the popular uprising that led to his removal from power. Aaron Copland had come to Caracas to conduct the first Venezuelan performance of his "Lincoln Portrait" on March 27, 1957. A "New York Times" reviewer said it had a "magical effect" on the audience. As Copland recalled, "To everyone's surprise, the reigning dictator, who had rarely dared to be seen in public, arrived at the last possible moment." On that evening Juana Sujo was the narrator who performed the spoken-word parts of the piece. When she spoke the final words, "..."that government of the people, by the people, for the people (el gobierno del pueblo, por el pueblo y para el pueblo) shall not perish from the earth," the audience rose and began cheering and shouting so loudly that Copland could not hear the remainder of the music. Copland continued, "It was not long after that the dictator was deposed and fled from the country. I was later told by an American foreign service officer that the "Lincoln Portrait" was credited with having inspired the first public demonstration against him. That, in effect, it had started a revolution.""