On the ground in Caracas: Venezuela after Trump’s attack.
In the wake of a US military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend, an atmosphere of uncertainty has settled on the South American country.
Maduro, who appeared in a US federal courtroom in New York today, is in US custody. Meanwhile, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has stepped up to be Venezuela’s interim leader — and has already received fresh threats from President Donald Trump if she refuses to comply with US guidance.
Amid the tumult, how are people in Venezuela feeling? Ana Vanessa Herrero, a reporter based in Caracas, says that the mood among Venezuelans has been something of a mixed bag. Some are celebrating; some are losing sleep over the conflict; others are gathering supplies in case the US launches more attacks — which Trump said the US is prepared to do.
Today, Explained co-host Noel King spoke with Herrero about what she’s seeing and hearing in Venezuela, and what the sentiment in Venezuela tells us about what might happen next.
Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify.
It’s great to be able to talk to you, especially since you filled us in on what was going on a few weeks ago. What’s going on now?
Everything’s going on. Since Saturday, people have been wondering what is going to happen next. In just 48 hours, Venezuelans experienced not only the first bombing and the first glimpse of war that they have experienced for hundreds of years now, but also they had to face the fact that Nicolas Maduro is no longer here. And that happened just in a couple of hours. That is an historic moment for Venezuelans who oppose Maduro, but also for those who follow him.
What are people in the streets saying? And is it safe to be out on the street today?
I tried to wait as long as I could to see what was going on [Saturday], and then to my surprise, no military on the streets, no cops on the streets, no danger whatsoever. People were just wandering and trying to line up in front of supermarkets and pharmacies to get water, food, supplies, whatever they could just to avoid being off guard in case something else happened.
