Late on January 3, 2026, explosions and low‑flying aircraft were heard across Caracas as a sudden military operation unfolded, leaving many Venezuelans shaken awake in the middle of the night. Smoke rose over the capital. Power flickered. Streets emptied as people tried to make sense of what was happening around them. Reuters
According to reporting by The Washington Post, the United States carried out coordinated strikes inside Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, transporting them to the United States to face criminal charges. Afterward, U.S. officials said they planned to “run” Venezuela temporarily while a transition was arranged. The Washington Post
This is the first time since the U.S. invasion of Panama that American forces have overtly deposed a sitting leader in the region. The Post described how Maduro’s removal followed months of pressure and military buildup in the Caribbean. Wikipedia
“All nations of the region must remain alert,” one foreign government warned, stressing the broader impact of what unfolded. Meanwhile, protests erupted outside the White House with people rallying against the operation, capturing a deep divide in how this was received internationally. The Washington Post
For people on the ground in Venezuela the neighbors, families, and communities last night wasn’t strategy or policy. It was explosions outside windows, power disappearing mid‑night, and uncertainty spilling into daily life. Children were frightened. Adults were left scrambling. People called loved ones abroad to say “I’m okay”. Violence like this travels through bodies and memory, not just headlines.
Whichever way one interprets the motives behind the operation, the impact is unmistakable: every explosion, every sudden silence on a street, is carried by real people.
Below is one of the clearest pieces of verified footage available right now showing aspects of the early morning operation.
This isn’t a post about taking sides. It’s about naming what happened in a way that centers lived experience the fear, the confusion, the shock not just the strategic framing in headlines. People in Venezuela and across the diaspora are processing this moment with mixed emotions, historical memory, and deep uncertainty about what comes next.
