Venezuela in Turmoil: The Aftermath of the US Raid
The city of Caracas, Venezuela, was awoken in the early hours of Saturday to the sound of detonations, sparking widespread fear and uncertainty among its residents. The explosions, which lit up the sky like a post-New Year’s fireworks display, marked the beginning of a new era of uncertainty for the nation. As the news of the US raid spread, Venezuelans took to social media to exchange images and sounds of the bombardment, with many wondering about the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro.
The great uncertainty was the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro, who has been under Trump administration threat for months. The scenes of revelry from a joyous Venezuelan diaspora celebrating from Miami to Madrid were not repeated in Caracas, as fear of the unknown kept most residents at home. Hours would pass before news reports from outside Venezuela confirmed that US forces had captured Maduro and placed him on a US ship to face criminal charges in federal court in New York.
Government supporters display posters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, and former President Hugo Chávez in downtown Caracas on Saturday. (Matias Delacroix / Associated Press)
Uncertainty and Fear Grip the Nation
The ultimate result of the US raid was an imponderable, but it was clear that this was a transformative moment for Venezuela, a nation reeling from a decade of economic, political, and social unrest. By daybreak, an uneasy calm overtook the city of more than 3 million, with explosions and the drone of US aircraft ceasing, and blackouts cutting electricity to parts of the capital. Pro-government youths wielding automatic rifles set up roadblocks or sped through the streets on motorcycles, warning those who might celebrate Maduro’s downfall.
Shops, gas stations, and other businesses were mostly closed, with little traffic on the streets. “When I heard the explosions, I grabbed my rosary and began to pray,” said Carolina Méndez, 50, who ventured out to buy medicines at a pharmacy. “I’m very scared now. That’s why I came to buy what I need.” A sense of alarm was ubiquitous, with rumors circulating rapidly that US forces had whisked away Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
A New Era of Uncertainty
There was no immediate official confirmation of the detention of Maduro and Flores, both wanted in the US for drug-trafficking charges. However, images of an apparently captive Maduro, blindfolded and in a sweatsuit, soon circulated on social media. The Trump administration’s plans for Venezuela’s future were unclear, with the President confident that the US would “run” the country during a transitional period. A key question was whether the military, long a Maduro ally, would remain loyal now that he was in US custody.
