“At least we have hope now,” a Venezuelan teacher expressed from the Colombian border, reflecting on his homeland, which he left nearly a decade ago.
“It’s uncertain what the future holds, but things might improve. Before this raid, there was only despair,” he shared.
Donald Trump’s surprising early morning special forces operation to capture Nicolás Maduro not only caught the Venezuelan leader off guard but also sent shockwaves through the nation.
Venezuelans, who have endured Maduro’s authoritarian rule since 2013, are now trying to comprehend their new reality. Though Maduro is no longer in power, there is apprehension about the influence of his remaining allies.
“When I first heard the news, I couldn’t stop watching TV until I saw that man looking weak and scared,” said the teacher, who is in his 30s and resides in the Colombian border town of Curata with his fiancée. “But when Trump mentioned that Maduro’s deputy will step in and talked about the U.S. taking control of the oil, the situation became more complicated.”
While refugees watch with cautious optimism from across the border, a sense of fear lingers in Caracas. Families of political prisoners held in the notorious Helicoide prison worry that their loved ones might face harm to prevent any celebrations.
Meanwhile, most residents are still too afraid to talk openly while Maduro’s deputies remain in power.
‘They still see us and I don’t know what they might do to me,’ was a common refrain when the Daily Mail approached locals. A housewife, who agreed to be interviewed anonymously, said she disagreed with what had happened and suggested the consequences were still unknown. She added: ‘This is not the solution, it was not the way to do it, but rather through negotiation.’
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro was taken into custody by US law enforcement officials on Saturday
US President Donald Trump watched from Washington on as Maduro’s capture unfolded
Shoppers line up to buy eggs in Caracas in Venezuela as fears of food shortages spread
Captured Venezuelan leader Maduro said ‘happy new year’ as he is led to US jail
For her, behind all this lies international interests in Venezuelan oil, not Venezuela’s own interests. Indeed, it appears to many of those here that Mr Trump has struck a deal with Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s deputy who has become interim leader.
So long as she opens Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to the US, it seems, she can remain in power – while the opposition that overwhelmingly won stolen elections last year is sidelined.
Adding to the foreboding, there is a striking absence of military and police presence in Caracas.
Huge queues have broken out at supermarkets as locals worry about supply shortages. Public transport has also ground to a standstill, with many petrol stations remaining closed.
One man in his 50s said he was surprised the US action did not seek to remove the entire leadership.
‘There is uncertainty about the process,’ he added. ‘We don’t know how long it will last, but we hope they all leave so we can stop living in fear.’
Oswaldo, 55, agreed. Trembling, he said: ‘It was foreseeable that this would happen. I agree with the departure, but it should have been negotiated.’
In the traditional opposition municipality of Chacao, one woman speaking anonymously said: ‘It was unacceptable for them to remain in power. They have done us much harm.’
Additional reporting: Delvalle Canelon in Caracas
