Did the U.S. attack? Maduro flee? No, but in Venezuela, rampant rumors fly

CARACAS, Venezuela — Even in Venezuela, a country battered by years of economic, social and political upheaval, the Christmas season is a time to put one’s problems aside, spend time with family, enjoy some holiday cheer; That is, if you can escape the ubiquitous uncertainty and rumors that mark life here.

One day, social media will be abuzz with news that President Nicolás Maduro has fled to Brazil. Or to Türkiye. Or that he stopped in Türkiye on his way to Qatar. Or that the US invasion had begun. None of them (so far) are true.

Social media fuels daily gossip as access to independent news is severely restricted.

“One hears a lot on social media, but learns very little,” said Begoña Monasterio, 78, who went shopping in Caracas to prepare the country’s symbolic Christmas dish, las hallacas. It is a meaty mixture made by cooking cornmeal, meat, olives, raisins and other delicious foods and wrapping them in banana leaves; It is a type of Venezuelan tamale.

“I want to surprise my oldest son, whose birthday is during the holidays,” said the grandmother.

He picked up a small shopping bag and vowed to buy the “minimum quantity,” now a tradition in the once-wealthy South American nation that has experienced a decade of hyperinflation, ruined wages, loss of savings, mass displacement and emigration (the equivalent of more than one Great Depression).

But even as shoppers wander through well-lit malls and storefronts filled with holiday foods that exceed most family budgets, rumors of war and peace and every other development, from the trivial to the significant, are never far away.

Much of the current cloud of chatter hovers over Venezuelan opposition activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado. He lives “in hiding” in the capital, although the government’s massive security apparatus is likely keeping a close eye on his movements.

After days of conflicting reports about his whereabouts, Machado arrived in Oslo a day after the Nobel Prize ceremony, reportedly following a secret US-backed journey by land, sea and private jet. Thousands of enthusiastic supporters welcomed him to Norway’s capital; a publicity coup for the opposition and a new bad light for Maduro’s embattled administration.

Although Machado had indeed reached Norway, the rumor mill in Venezuela was still churning out theories about his arrival.

“At one point we heard that María Corina left the country in the fuselage of a plane carrying immigrants. los gringos Monasterio said: “Then we heard that Maduro had fled to Brazil. Actually, nothing turned out to be true. So I’m trying to move on with my life, enjoying my childhood.” allegrias [joys] “As much as I can.”

It’s a smart survival strategy in a country where everyone is guessing what will happen next. Will Maduro negotiate a deal to stay in power with President Trump? Will US forces currently massed off the coast of Venezuela attack? Or will the tense status quo continue?

“Nobody knows who to believe,” said Sebastián López, a 33-year-old public worker who attended a pro-government political rally in the city centre, one of a series of demonstrations organized by the ruling socialist party these days. “Many rumors come from outside the country, from Venezuelans who have left the country and can write whatever they want on the Internet…. Yes, it’s true, María Corina is gone. But she will come back again.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answers questions about the US military’s recent seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

There’s a report going around that high-ranking Chavistas Hard-line government supporters, named after Maduro’s mentor, late former President Hugo Chávez, are sending their families abroad, anticipating a U.S. strike. But no high-level departures were reported; This is in stark contrast to 2019, when Trump sought to oust Maduro during his first-term “maximum pressure” campaign against Venezuela.

Another rumor is that Washington and its allies will somehow recognize the opposition duo of Edmundo González Urrutia and Machado as the legitimate leaders of Venezuela.

González, a veteran diplomat living in exile in Spain, ran as Machado’s surrogate presidential candidate in last year’s national elections. Maduro claimed victory in voting results that were widely accused of being fraudulent.

It’s unclear whether such a move by Washington would make much difference. During his first term, Trump followed a similar strategy, declaring Juan Guaidó, then an opposition lawmaker, the U.S.-recognized president of Venezuela, who provided diplomatic support and funding to the shadow government. The gamble failed. Guaidó has since joined the large Venezuelan exile community in Miami.

This week, news that US forces had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela further fueled the existing unrest. Maduro’s government condemned the seizure as an international act of piracy. Fears now abound about a possible US blockade, potentially restricting oil exports, knocking off Venezuela’s economic lifeline and deepening civilian hardship.

“I’ve heard all the rumors that the invasion will happen before Christmas, that Maduro is negotiating to go to Doha, to Cuba, to Russia, but I don’t pay any attention,” said Carmen Luisa Jiménez, a Maduro supporter from the capital’s working-class Artigas district. “We know this minister He will never leave, he will stay with us. … We are a peaceful nation, but we are ready to resist any attack from the United States.”

Militia members wave Venezuelan flags during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the 19th-century military battle in Caracas on Wednesday.

(Pedro Rances Mattey / Anadolu / Getty Images)

Sonia Bravo, 40, who sells Christmas decorations from a makeshift stall, has also heard that “zero hour” is approaching. He has no idea. He says a bigger concern is declining sales and trying to put food on the table for his family.

“People can’t afford to buy much,” Bravo said. “Anything seems possible right now. But here’s what we all hope for: Something “It will end this nightmare.”

Meanwhile, Venezuelans will continue to stock up on ingredients for las hallacas, a complex dish that can take days to prepare. There is no doubt that its comforting presence in homes this Christmas provides a sense of continuity lacking in many other aspects of contemporary life in Venezuela.

Special correspondent Mogollón reported from Caracas and Times staff writer McDonnell reported from Mexico City.