On Saturday, Venezuelans woke up to deserted streets, clouds of smoke and a single, nagging question: Who’s in charge now?Security forces patrolled nearly empty streets in the capital, hours after loud explosions rocked Caracas and U.S. commandos carried out nighttime attacks that President Donald Trump said led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Reuters reported that areas around the presidential palace in Miraflores were cordoned off by checkpoints manned by armed personnel, while residents stayed inside and stared at their phones to keep up with news.Follow live updates here“We don’t know what’s next,” Nancy Perez, 74, told Reuters. “I first saw it on social media, then on TV. Now everyone is just waiting,” she said.Dark smoke continued to rise from the direction of the port of La Guaira north of Caracas, which was heavily damaged, according to CBS News, while another cloud was visible near a major air base in the capital. Meanwhile, videos showed explosions lighting up the night sky, followed by sustained explosions. Most residents chose to stay home, although long lines formed outside grocery stores as people stocked up on food and essentials. Gas stations were closed in several cities, increasing fears of a prolonged disruption.“I checked my workshop because I was afraid of looting, but the streets were empty,” Jairo Chacin, 39, a mechanic in the oil hub of Maracaibo, told Reuters. For some opposition supporters, cautious optimism was mixed with concern. Chacin said his sister, who lives in the United States, called him in tears when the news broke. “We cried together out of happiness,” he said, “but no one knows what will happen now.”Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump confirmed Maduro’s arrest after months of allegations that the Venezuelan leader was involved in drug trafficking and was unlawfully clinging to power. The operation was the first U.S. military intervention aimed at overthrowing a foreign leader since the 1989 invasion of Panama.In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured along with his wife and flown out of the country. This operation was carried out in cooperation with U.S. law enforcement.”
