CARACAS: Thousands of Venezuelans poured onto the streets of Caracas, waving national flags and chanting slogans in a show of support for the government after the United States abducted President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
After days of near-empty streets gripped by fear following the US military operation on Saturday, central Caracas briefly came alive. Crowds surged back into the capital, waving Venezuelan flags and moving to blaring patriotic music.
Marchers raised V-for-victory signs in a show of defiance, backing a government that insists it remains firmly in power despite Maduro’s seizure and US President Donald Trump’s pledge to “run” the country.
The demonstrations marked the first large public mobilisation since Saturday’s US operation, which Caracas says included air strikes and a special forces raid that ended with Maduro being flown to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Washington has vowed to “run” Venezuela during a transition period, a claim firmly rejected by the country’s leadership.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, one of the officials named in a US indictment unsealed on Saturday, appeared unfazed as he moved through the crowd.
Wearing a blue cap bearing the slogan “to doubt is to betray,” Cabello exchanged high-fives with supporters, embracing the celebratory mood of the rally.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said the government remained fully in control. “Venezuela is governed by Venezuelans. No foreign power rules this country,” she said in a televised address, as crowds gathered nearby in central Caracas.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared at the rally, greeting supporters amid music and speeches framing the protests as a defence of sovereignty.
Venezuela and Cuba say at least 55 of their military personnel were killed during the January 3 attacks. The US has defended its actions by invoking the Monroe Doctrine and linking the intervention to oil security and alleged narcotics trafficking.
The crisis has triggered international condemnation, with critics warning the operation undermines international law and risks destabilising the region.
