Hundreds of Chavismo followers protested this Saturday (3), in , against the president’s capture, some with his portrait erected, while his fearful detractors remain silent in the streets, but explode on social media. “Long live Nicolás Maduro!” shouted Chavista protesters from a platform with speakers installed in the center of Caracas, while playing songs typical of the deposed president’s actions. “Hurrah!” he replied to the crowd.
Agents dressed in black, with their faces covered and carrying large weapons, walked nervously through the center of the Venezuelan capital, where public offices are located. Long lines of Venezuelans looking for supplies formed in front of the few open supermarkets and gas stations. The agents also provide security at the Miraflores Presidential Palace, where Maduro led recent rallies against imperialism, in which he danced to the electronic rhythm of “No war, yes peace”.
No opposition demonstrations were recorded. There is fear in their ranks after spontaneous protests against Maduro’s contested re-election in 2024 ended in repression and the arrest of more than 2,000 people in 48 hours.
After American military bombings in the early hours of the morning, smoke and the smell of gunpowder invaded the deserted streets of Caracas in the early hours of the day. The first explosions drove many from their beds in Caracas. It was an unknown shock for this country, which has not had wars since the 19th century and which, according to President Donald Trump, will be governed by the United States until there is a peaceful transition of power.
Trump announced the bombings and the arrest of the Venezuelan president and published a photo of Maduro in handcuffs, with his eyes covered by sunglasses and wearing gray sportswear, aboard the American military ship USS Iwo Jima, on his way to New York, where he will be tried for drug trafficking and terrorism.
*With information from AFP
