“The Homeland Is the Homeland”: Caracas Divided as US Forces Mass Offshore

Caracas Keeps Its Rhythm as Military Tension Builds Offshore

Daily life in Caracas continues—vendors hawk chocolates and frozen fruit, shopkeepers restock shelves and commuters hurry through crowded plazas—but beneath the routine a growing unease hangs over the city as US military assets gather near Venezuela's coast and rhetoric between Washington and Caracas intensifies.

Residents are split: some see the foreign presence as a potential catalyst for change, others view it as an imperial provocation, and many are driven by a fierce determination to defend national sovereignty.

The homeland is the homeland, and my army is my army, says David Oropeza, 52, a farmer and street vendor who would consider taking up arms if the United States attacked. Despite a medical condition that requires treatment three times a week, he says he would "help however I could."

According to reporting, the United States has conducted nearly two dozen strikes since September in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, operations that have reportedly killed more than 80 people. The latest reported strike killed four people. The Trump administration has not publicly released clear evidence to support claims that the targeted vessels carried narcotics bound for the US, nor has it provided an explicit legal justification for the operations—actions many experts say may contravene international law.

Washington has also signalled plans to target alleged traffickers "on land," raising concerns that a direct operation involving Venezuela could follow. In recent weeks the US deployed the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, thousands of troops and F-35 jets to the region, the largest US military show of force in the Caribbean in decades.

For some Venezuelans, US pressure on President Nicolás Maduro is welcome. Carolina Tovar, 60, a chocolate vendor, says external pressure could bring freedom and relief from years of economic collapse and social hardship. Maduro was sworn in for a third term in January after Venezuela's electoral authority and top court declared him the winner of July's election—detailed tallies were not released; the opposition says its count shows Edmundo Gonzalez won and that result has been recognised by the US and others. International observers also raised concerns about the vote.

But polls show Tovar's view is not the majority. Most Venezuelans are preoccupied with day-to-day survival, low pay and runaway inflation, and many oppose sanctions or foreign military intervention. A recent survey by Caracas-based firm Datanalisis found 55 percent of respondents oppose sectoral, financial or oil sanctions, and 55 percent oppose a foreign military attack; 23 percent said they would support such an attack. The same poll found 60 percent of respondents describe themselves as politically unaffiliated.

"External interference is never positive in any country," a government official with a degree in international affairs told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity. "We've seen that in Panama, Syria, Libya and many countries in the Middle East."

Many Venezuelans express scepticism toward both their domestic elite and US motives. Oropeza, a former supporter of Hugo Chávez, says he wants peace and does not believe war will solve Venezuela's deep problems; he suspects both foreign and local elites profit from military mobilisation.

Maduro has answered rising tensions with his own shows of force: troops and militias have been mobilised, anti-air systems tested along the Caribbean coast, and a "massive" mobilisation of troops and civilians was announced as a precaution against possible US action.

Younger people often view the crisis through the lens of natural resources. Diego Mejia, 24, doubts an invasion is imminent but believes the US interest is driven by Venezuela's energy and minerals. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves, substantial natural gas deposits and significant quantities of gold, diamonds, bauxite, iron ore and rare minerals such as coltan—materials important to energy and modern manufacturing.

Faith and routine provide solace for many. Streets remain busy and there is no widespread hoarding, suggesting most residents do not expect an immediate attack. Still, some prepare quietly: Dalibeth Brea, 34, a homemaker, says she would shelter her family and keep food at home if violence erupted; others say they hope outside pressure could spur modernization and political change.

Uncertainty Remains

As night falls over a city caught between hope and fear, uncertainty prevails. Venezuelans balance daily survival with anxieties about civilian casualties, the risk of civil war and long-term economic deterioration should conflict escalate. For now, life goes on under a tense cloud of possibility.

Reporting contributed by Elizabeth Melimopoulos from Canada.