Nicolás Maduro ousted from Venezuela as citizens react with relief and fear

Following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro on January 3 after he and his wife were brought to justice in New York, ordinary citizens of Venezuela are reacting with a mixture of relief, shock and uncertainty after 30 years of brutal socialist dictatorship that left their nation bankrupt.

While what happens next remains largely unclear and many possibilities continue to be examined by Washington, the sounds of celebration seen Saturday among nearly 9 million citizens across the country and in the diaspora have largely given way to the quiet, cautious joy expressed only in private circles among those yearning for an end to years of economic hardship and political repression.

Vera, a professor at one of the well-known universities, told Fox News Digital: “The world cannot understand the joy we feel. Maduro is in a federal prison in the United States, with living conditions and rights that our political prisoners have never had. For me, it is comforting to know that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars, eating rice and sausages and showering only three times a week, paying the price for harming the lives of millions of Venezuelans.”

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But fear remains. The government decided that celebrating current events or even endorsing the US operation through text messages was a crime tantamount to treason. Worse: It authorized any law officer to randomly check citizens and their phones at hundreds of checkpoints set up in Caracas and other parts of the country.

Anyone found to have violated the decree may be arrested immediately without trial; This turns the promise of change into anxiety about what will happen next, raising questions about sovereignty, daily survival, and how to overcome another crisis.

For Jesús, a 23-year-old college student from a middle-class family in Caracas who also works at a local business, one word defines the past week: stress. For security reasons, he and other Venezuelans interviewed for this story requested partial or complete anonymity due to the security situation.

“We cannot afford the luxury of staying at home and waiting to see how things develop. I have my own private vehicle and travel extensively all over Caracas to commute from work, school and to run errands,” he said.

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View from inside a car approaching a checkpoint in a Venezuelan city where armed groups and security forces are deployed across the city under increased security measures. (Fox News Digital)

“Police cars and national, municipal and local authorities are stationed on every corner. Hundreds of checkpoints have formed in Caracas since the decision to ban any expression of celebration in the US operation that captured Maduro. In the first few days, there were also pro-government, publicly armed colectivos. (government-sanctioned citizen groups) are making the rounds to hunt down and violently suppress anyone who expresses relief that Maduro is gone. It was very difficult to stay alert all the time. From previous experiences, I have learned to avoid most checkpoints by alternative routes and avoiding main roads. “People are sending messages saying where the checkpoints are and telling us to delete anything from our phones that shows our support for US actions.”

He continued: “It is a time of mixed emotions for me personally. I am relieved to see Maduro gone and to finally see a promise or rhetoric made by local or foreign governments in Venezuela come true. While I clearly understand that this is only due to foreign intervention, I would prefer an action by the United States to end this dictatorship than to preserve Venezuela’s sovereignty at the expense of our country. On the other hand, I am also afraid because when you start to destroy the established structures, you end up with chaos, and in such a situation it is the people who suffer the most.”

Jesús adds that he goes through three major groups of people: his fellow students, his family, his elderly relatives, and his work. He adds that there is a general hope among his friends that the United States can reshape the Venezuelan market and turn it into an “advanced” system where people can actually live better lives. “Eventually we will stop being a Cuban colony and either become truly independent or a US-led country like the Dominican Republic. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’ll still be better off and more stable,” he added.

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Gunmen search vehicles at an improvised checkpoint on a Caracas highway as part of a massive security crackdown following the operation that deposed President Nicolás Maduro. (Fox News Digital)

The prevailing tone of voice among his relatives is one of fear. So far, many of Maduro’s supporters have remained in power and do not know how to react suddenly in case of paranoia, private property owners and especially potential conscription.

“Finally, there’s apathy at work. I work in a wealthy neighborhood where a lot of government officials and military people frequent. Obviously, police officers and other government officials who benefit from corruption and crime oppose what’s happening, but most military personnel say they won’t die for something they disagree with because of the dictatorship. We’ve seen so many broken promises at my job that we’re just getting ready to survive.”

For recent graduate Hannah, it was a relief that Maduro was gone. “Of course things aren’t supposed to be like this, and Venezuelans should be the ones deciding the future of their country, but one way or another Maduro had to leave, and now he’s gone,” he adds.

One business entrepreneur, who asked not to be named, said Venezuelans in his position are less inclined to speak to the press because of government smear campaigns and possible reprisals.

He said he was in Caracas. stocks hit record highs They are up both in trade and value since Saturday, some reaching close to 20% since then.

Nicolas Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing on a helipad in Manhattan; Heavily armed Federal agents make their way towards an armored vehicle as they head to the Federal courthouse in Manhattan on January 5, 2026 in New York City. (XNY/Star Max/GC images via Getty Images)

“There is a lot of hope among the more pragmatic business elites in Venezuela that a more normal business environment will be created with Maduro gone and if the United States plays the regime change and economic development cards right, even if it is to their advantage first and foremost. But even then it will be a better environment for private businesses and an enormous market ripe for renewed activity. In that sense, most people are hopeful that Maduro is finally gone, but frankly it is hard to see your own country being attacked by a foreign power.” he says.

Professor Vera says he has been traveling around Caracas since January 4 and has not encountered any problems. colectivos He describes a general sense of relief and joy at seeing Maduro gone, despite a lot of uncertainty.

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President Donald Trump is preparing to meet with a group of oil executives to discuss investments in Venezuela after the capture of Nicolas Maduro. (Gabby Oraa/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

“There is general uncertainty, but the collective feeling is one of relief. There is political change for the first time after 26 years of oppression. I have personal reservations about Trump and the USA, because they clearly have economic interests. We have one of the largest reserves of extra heavy oil in the world, as well as reserves of gas, gold and coltan.“

He continued: “The actions of the United States are not free, and we need to see what the real costs will be, which may still be very high. I am very sorry that this is happening in my country, and I would be lying if I said that I am willing to accept external attacks, but I am of the opinion that our own Armed Forces must also listen to the majority of citizens in the 2024 elections.” [when Maduro retained power despite losing the vote]but they chose to continue oppressing their own people. “So that’s part of the cost we have to pay for them not working,” he said.

Vera warns that reactivating Venezuela’s economic growth will be a medium- to long-term task, but things flow better when the sense of political change is real and the sense of opportunity in the country is real now.