Following the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores by US forces on January 3, Venezuelans inside the country who welcomed the operation did not dare celebrate in the streets or online. Fears, fueled by “colectivos” patrolling the streets and an emergency order banning support for the US operation, kept them off the streets.
US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on January 3, after launching strikes on the South American country.
In the immediate aftermath of the operation, members of the Venezuelan diaspora in Colombia, Chile, and the United States took to the streets and social media to celebrate the news. Nearly 8 million Venezuelans live outside the country – a number that has exploded in the last 10 years.
But it’s a different story inside the country. There has been little reaction on social media, and the streets were quiet in the days after the US operation. Only a few marches in support of the deposed president have been reported.
'There were no celebrations in public of the US's seizure of Nicolas Maduro'
Our team reached out to dozens of Venezuelans we had previously spoken to – many of whom still live in the country – to gain a clearer picture of the local situation following the US operation.
Lissette Gonzalez, who works for the human rights group Provea, told us:
“There were no celebrations in public of the US's seizure of Nicolas Maduro. Perhaps there were people who thought it was a good thing, but they didn't dare show it because they're afraid of repression.”
Fueling this climate of fear are “colectivos”, armed civic groups that the Venezuelan regime has used for years to intimidate the population.
Gonzales added:
“People started seeing checkpoints in the streets early on, around January 4. The police and the colectivos were stopping people to search them and check their cellphones.”
A Caracas resident, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told our team:
“They are checking cellphones to see if you have a video or a message criticising the government. We recommend to our friends that they leave their cellphones at home.”
That fear is further compounded by a wave of rumours and the publication of an emergency order warning that “any person promoting or supporting the armed attack by the United States” could face arrest.
People have been arrested in different parts of the country, including in Merida state, where two men were punished for celebrating the “kidnapping” of Maduro, according to the local police.
'We're all afraid of being denounced for something we say'
Another one of our Observers living in Venezuela, a biologist who also requested anonymity, even spoke of a growing culture of “self-censorship”:
“We're all afraid of being denounced for something we say on the street or on WhatsApp. We are watching what we say, even with people we know.”
Venezuelans we spoke to told us there were celebrations of Maduro’s capture inside the country, but in private, behind closed doors. Some told us they posted messages on social media supporting the US raid, but later deleted them to avoid arrest.
In the days following the US operation, several of the Venezuelans we spoke to said it was too soon to celebrate Maduro’s departure in any case, as his government remained in place, and the future was unsure. However, on January 16, Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, announced she had dismissed Alex Saab from his role as minister of industry.
The vast majority of Venezuelans in exile have fled economic chaos, shortages of food and medicine, and political repression – including arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings.
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