A Holiday Season Under Watch: Caracas Balances Parties and Fear as U.S. Military Pressure Mounts

CARACAS, Venezuela — In a music hall hours after reports that President Donald Trump was weighing land strikes in Venezuela, young partygoers in Halloween costumes sipped spicy vodka cocktails, danced to reggaetón and joked nervously about the prospect of war interrupting their night.

“I feel bad for laughing at the thought of something happening and us having to be dressed up in costumes,” said Gabriela, a woman in her twenties wearing a Formula One driver outfit who runs a small marketing agency in the capital.

Normalcy Amid a Military Buildup

Throughout Caracas, people are trying to carry on with life: shoppers queued for the opening of the country’s first H&M store, audiences attended symphonic Christmas concerts, and beer-soaked crowds filled baseball stadiums — Venezuela’s national pastime. Yet whispers of possible strikes and military action linger, and everyday routines are tinged with anxiety and dark humor.

What’s Driving the Tension

The military and diplomatic pressure comes as more than a dozen U.S. warships and other assets — including a nuclear-powered submarine and the USS Gerald R. Ford — have operated near Venezuelan waters while B-2 and F-18 flights have carried out patrols near the coasts. The Trump administration frames deployments as counter-narcotics operations even as it publicly brands President Nicolás Maduro the head of a drug cartel, offers multimillion-dollar bounties for him and openly discusses removing him from power.

In recent weeks the U.S. has seized Venezuela-linked oil tankers, and Mr. Trump announced a blockade on Truth Social, warning of a shock to Venezuela’s economy. These moves echo disputes dating to 2007, when Venezuela nationalized assets from oil majors, but U.S. oil company Chevron continues to operate in Venezuela under a U.S. license and a joint venture with PDVSA. More than one-fifth of Venezuela’s oil exports still go to the United States.

Repression, Fear and Self-Censorship

Life in Caracas was already constrained by an authoritarian crackdown and a collapsing economy. Since the disputed July 28, 2024 election — when the government declared Mr. Maduro the winner despite evidence suggesting an opposition victory — authorities have responded with a harsh post-election campaign: hundreds detained, opposition figures forced into exile and an intensification of sanctions and international pressure.

“They mask their opinions because they don't know what kind of reprisals it might provoke,” said Rafael Uzcátegui, a Venezuelan human rights activist who leads a think tank. “Except in small circles, caution and distrust prevail among the population.”

Human rights groups and the U.N. independent mission on Venezuela record thousands of arbitrary detentions over the past decade and hundreds more in post-election protests. Ordinary citizens have been arrested for social-media posts, participation in demonstrations or minor acts of dissent. Pro-government community groups and apps that encourage denunciations, along with social-media broadcasts of raids, have become tools of social control.

Political Figures and International Reactions

María Corina Machado, the opposition leader banned from running, chose Edmundo González as her proxy candidate in 2024. Machado has cultivated closer ties with U.S. figures and was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize while in hiding; after 16 months in an undisclosed location she escaped Venezuela in a clandestine operation and arrived in Oslo to begin an international tour.

Meanwhile, Washington has escalated sanctions, offered rewards for Maduro and associates, and moved to designate the alleged Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization — steps accompanied by military deployments off Venezuela’s coast.

Public Opinion: Divided and Guarded

Polls show regional support for intervention is higher in parts of Latin America than in the United States. An AtlasIntel–Bloomberg survey found 53% support for intervention among mostly Latin American respondents (excluding Cuba), and nearly 64% support among the Venezuelan diaspora. Inside Venezuela, opinions are split or uncertain: many respondents say they don’t know or express guarded views consistent with long-standing fear of reprisals.

Across social classes, feelings range from quiet hopes that foreign pressure could force change, to cynicism that any intervention would prioritize Venezuela’s resources over ordinary people, to resignation focused on daily survival amid triple-digit inflation and shortages.

Practical Disruptions During The Holidays

Beyond politics, navigation interference and NOTAMs have disrupted flights and services: GPS interference has affected domestic flights and apps such as Waze and local delivery services, complicating travel and logistics at the height of the holiday season. Many international flights to Caracas were canceled in recent weeks, stranding relatives abroad and forcing Venezuelans to postpone weddings, baptisms and family reunions.

“People cannot come so I’ve had at least four events cancelled in December,” said Mayra, a makeup artist and event planner. “My whole family was coming for Christmas, and we lost all five airplane tickets.”

Resilience and Resignation

Amid the fear and economic hardship, Caracas residents show a mixture of resilience and resignation: maintaining social rituals, attending parties and work events, and trying to keep businesses afloat even as many people keep their heads down to avoid political exposure.

“It’s not like it’s the first time we get Christmas ruined. We’ll have fun anyway,” said Patricia, a local chef watching a parranda Christmas party at a startup office near her café.

As tensions continue, Venezuelans balance attempts at normal life with the uncertainty of geopolitical moves that could reshape their country’s future — and their immediate safety.