Venezuela woke on Saturday to a tense mix of relief, celebration, and fear after U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro following a night of explosions and targeted strikes across the Caracas Valley.
As residents cautiously returned to the streets, reactions split sharply. Some Venezuelans expressed hope that Maduro’s removal could open a path toward change after years of repression and crisis, while others condemned the operation and rallied to demand his release, calling the arrest an abduction and denouncing a breach of national sovereignty.
Despite a few scattered moments of celebration, a sense of uncertainty permeated many conversations. Several individuals noted that they worried about potential retaliation and growing instability in the coming days, highlighting the ongoing activity of pro-government armed groups known as “colectivos,” which residents described seeing riding through neighborhoods on motorcycles while carrying weapons. The atmosphere was also influenced by a newly approved law from the government-controlled National Assembly that classifies any support for U.S. naval blockades as “treason,” intensifying the perceived dangers of speaking publicly.
U.S. officials portrayed the raid as the endpoint of months spent gathering intelligence and running practice drills, during which a small team monitored Maduro’s habits and movements while elite units prepared on a full-scale replica of a Caracas safe house to refine their entry paths; the operation, known as “Operation Absolute Resolve,” remained closely guarded and, per the U.S. narrative, was not disclosed to Congress beforehand.
The order to launch the mission was authorized late Friday night U.S. time, shortly before midnight in Caracas, with commanders aiming to maximize surprise and operate under cover of darkness. The operation combined air, land, and sea actions and lasted just over two hours, according to senior military officials.
Maduro and his wife were subsequently taken to New York to confront charges tied to drug trafficking and weapons, accusations he had previously denied. From Washington, President Donald Trump stated that the United States would take “temporary” control to supervise a transition and handle Venezuela’s oil resources until a permanent successor is in place, a declaration that heightened political friction within Venezuela and unsettled governments throughout the region.
International reactions were swift. Brazil’s leadership warned the violent capture set a “dangerous precedent” for the international community, and calls grew for urgent discussions in multilateral forums.
Venezuelans living outside Venezuela marked the moment across the cities where they have resettled after years of large‑scale migration, yet even among those who approved of Maduro’s arrest, a measured tone dominated: the action may signal a pivotal shift, but it offers no assurance of swift stability. The key question—both within Venezuela and throughout its diaspora—continues to be what comes next and who will ultimately wield real authority on the ground.
