On the ground in Venezuela: Shock, fear and defiance

CARACAS, Venezuela — It was around 2 a.m. Saturday Caracas time when the explosions lit up the gloomy sky like a post-New Year’s fireworks display.

“¡Ya Comenzó!” It was the phrase repeated in homes, phone calls and social media chats as the latest iteration of US “shock and awe” shook the Venezuelan capital. “It’s started!”

Then comes the question: “Maduro?”

The biggest uncertainty was the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro, who has been under threat from the Trump administration for months.

The festive scenes of the joyful Venezuelan diaspora celebrating from Miami to Madrid were not repeated here. Fear of the unknown was best kept at home.

Hours would pass before news from outside Venezuela confirmed that US forces had captured Maduro and put him on a US ship to face criminal charges in federal court in New York.

Venezuelans watched the unfolding scene from their homes, using social media to share images of explosions and sounds of shelling. It was clear that this moment heralded a new era of uncertainty for Venezuela, a country reeling from a decade of economic, political and social unrest.

The final result was unpredictable. But it seemed indisputable that this was a transformative moment, for better or worse.

As dawn broke, an uneasy calm prevailed in the city of more than 3 million people. Explosions and US aircraft drones were interrupted. Power outages cut off electricity in parts of the capital.

Pro-government youths wielding automatic rifles set up barricades or sped through the streets on motorcycles; This was a warning to those who would celebrate Maduro’s downfall.

Stores, gas stations and other businesses were mostly closed. There was very little traffic.

“When I heard the explosions, I took my rosary and started praying,” said Carolina Méndez, 50, who was one of the few people who went out of the pharmacy to look for medicine on Saturday, but no staff had arrived to deal with the customers waiting in line. “I’m so scared now. That’s why I came to get what I need.”

A sense of alarm prevailed everywhere.

“People are buying bottled water, milk and eggs,” said Luz Pérez, a clerk at one of the few open stores not far from La Carlota airport, one of the places targeted by U.S. strikes. “I heard the explosions. It was very scary. But the owner decided to open it anyway to help people.”

Customers were allowed three people in at a time. Most of them didn’t want to talk. Their priorities were to stock up on essential supplies and return home safely.

Rumors spread quickly that US forces had kidnapped Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

There has been no direct official confirmation here that Maduro and Flores, who are both wanted in the United States on drug trafficking charges, have been detained; These were allegations that Maduro condemned as US propaganda. However, images of Maduro, apparently a captive, blindfolded and wearing tracksuits, quickly spread on social media.

There was no official estimate of Venezuelan casualties in the US raid.

Rumors had circulated that a number of top Maduro aides had been killed, including security minister Diosdado Cabello, a staunch Maduro ally. Cabello is often the face of the government.

However, Cabello soon appeared on official television and condemned the “terrorist attack on our people”, adding: “No one should facilitate the actions of the enemy occupier.”

Although Trump confidently predicted at Saturday’s press conference that the United States would “manage” Venezuela, it is apparently unclear how this would be achieved during an uncertain transition period.

One important question is whether the military, a long-time ally of Maduro, will remain loyal while he is in U.S. custody. There was no public indication of a mass defection of Venezuelan armed forces on Saturday. Nor was it clear that Maduro had lost control of the country’s government infrastructure. Official media reported declarations of loyalty from pro-government politicians and citizens throughout Venezuela.

In his comments, Trump mentioned a limited US military presence in Venezuela and focused mostly on protecting oil infrastructure that his administration says has been stolen from the US; that characterization has been widely rejected here, even among Maduro’s critics. But Trump has provided few details about sending U.S. personnel to ease what could be a tumultuous transition.

Meanwhile, according to the official Telesur broadcaster, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez appeared on official television and demanded the immediate release of Maduro and his wife. His comments appeared to be the first official acknowledgment that Maduro had been kidnapped.

“This country has a president and his name is Nicolás Maduro,” the vice president said in his speech at the Miraflores Palace, where Maduro and his wife were kidnapped hours ago.

Telesur reported that during an emergency meeting of the National Defense Council, Rodríguez called the couple’s detention an “illegal kidnapping.”

The Trump administration, which the vice president accused, “wasted our energy, our minerals and [other] natural resources.”

His defiant remarks came after Trump said at the press conference that Rodríguez had been sworn in as the country’s interim president and demonstrated his willingness to cooperate with Washington.

“He’s actually willing to do the things that we think are necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump said.

Armed pro-government civilians patrolled La Guaira, Venezuela, on Saturday after President Trump announced that President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country.

(Matias Delacroix / Associated Press)

Somewhat surprisingly, Trump also appeared to rule out Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize winner and longtime anti-Maduro activist Marina Corina Machado from being in the interim government.

Trump said of Machado, “She is a very good woman, but she has no respect in the country.”

Machado is indeed a controversial figure within the fragmented Venezuelan opposition. Some oppose his open calls for US intervention and prefer a democratic change in government.

However, his surrogate candidate Edmundo González won the presidency in the national vote last year, according to opposition activists and others who say Maduro stole the election.

“Venezuelans, the moment of freedom has arrived!” In a letter published in X, Machado wrote: “We have been fighting for years. … What has to happen, happens.”

Not everyone agreed.

“They want our oil and say it’s theirs,” said Roberto, a 65-year-old taxi driver who declined to give his last name for security reasons. “Venezuelans disagree. Yes, I think people will go out and defend their homeland.”

Special correspondent Mogollón reported from Caracas and staff writer McDonnell reported from Boston. The contributor was special correspondent Cecilia Sánchez Vidal in Mexico City.