Venezuelan Exiles Celebrate After Reported U.S.-Backed Removal of Maduro, But Anxiety Persists

Aida Pelaez-Fernandez|NewsNation

Jan 3•3 min read

Venezuelan Exiles Celebrate After Reported U.S.-Backed Removal of Maduro, But Anxiety Persists

Venezuelan expatriate communities celebrated worldwide after reports of a U.S.-backed removal of President Nicolás Maduro, with jubilant gatherings in cities such as Santiago, Chile. The upheaval comes against a backdrop of a prolonged migration crisis—about 7.7 million people have left Venezuela since 2014, according to international agencies. While many expressed hope, others voiced anxiety about potential unrest in Caracas and uncertainty over the country’s political future. Community leaders said strikes and protests could be part of a path toward a return to democratic power rotation.

Venezuelan migrants across the globe celebrated on Saturday after reports of a U.S.-backed removal of President Nicolás Maduro, an event that has reverberated through large expatriate communities formed during the nation’s long migration crisis.

Joy in the Streets

In Santiago, Chile, crowds of Venezuelans gathered in public squares, chanting and embracing as news of Maduro's reported deposition spread. "We are free. We are all happy that the dictatorship has fallen and that we have a free country," said Khaty Yanez, who has lived in Chile for seven years. "My joy is too big," added Jose Gregorio. "After so many years, after so many struggles, after so much work, today is the day. Today is the day of freedom."

Global Reactions and Local Concerns

While many in the diaspora celebrated, others expressed caution and concern about instability and what comes next for Venezuela. Andrés Losada, who has lived in Spain for three years and is among roughly 400,000 Venezuelans in the country, said he felt torn between anxiety and hope: "Although what people are going through in Caracas is tough, I believe that beyond that there is a light that will lead us to freedom."

Situation in Caracas

In the Venezuelan capital, security forces patrolled largely empty streets at dawn as many residents stayed home monitoring developments on their phones. Some people made precautionary trips to buy groceries in case they needed to shelter in place for an extended period.

Political Voices

Speaking to a Spanish television station, Agustín Rodríguez, vice president of a Venezuelan cultural association, acknowledged concerns about nationwide strikes and disruption but suggested they "may be necessary to find a way out for the country in which there can be a return to power alternation, where there can be a future."

Migration Background

Since 2014, an estimated 7.7 million Venezuelans—roughly 20% of the population—have left the country, driven by food and medicine shortages, economic collapse and insecurity, according to the International Organization for Migration. Neighboring Colombia has taken in the largest share of the diaspora—about 2.8 million—followed by around 1.7 million in Peru, data from the R4V platform (a coalition of regional NGOs supported by the U.N. migration agency) show.

U.S. Asylum Trends

For years the United States was a major destination for Venezuelan migrants. In recent years, however, U.S. immigration policies and enforcement changes—particularly during the Trump administration—made migration routes and asylum outcomes more difficult for many Venezuelans, contributing to secondary movements within the region.

Reporting note: Accounts quoted here reflect witnesses and community leaders abroad. Numbers on migration flows are drawn from international agencies cited in the reporting.

Venezuelans living in Chile celebrate in Santiago on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and his Venezuelan arch-foe. (Photo by Javier TORRES / AFP via Getty Images)

Venezuelans living in Peru celebrate at the Miguel de Cervantes park, near the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and his Venezuelan arch-foe. (Photo by Connie FRANCE / AFP via Getty Images)

SANTIAGO, CHILE – JANUARY 3: Venezuelan citizen in Chile hug during a rally after the confirmation of Nicolas Maduro’s capture this early morning in Caracas on January 3, 2026 in Santiago, Chile. President Donald Trump announced that Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in the early morning in Caracas after a military operation led by the Delta Force, the elite special missions unit of the U.S. military. (Photo by Sebastián Vivallo Oñate/Agencia Makro/Getty Images)

SANTIAGO, CHILE – JANUARY 3: A Venezuelan citizen in Chile hugs her daughter during a rally after the confirmation of Nicolas Maduro’s capture this early morning in Caracas on January 3, 2026 in Santiago, Chile. President Donald Trump announced that Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in the early morning in Caracas after a military operation led by the Delta Force, the elite special missions unit of the U.S. military. (Photo by Sebastián Vivallo Oñate/Agencia Makro/Getty Images)

SANTIAGO, CHILE – JANUARY 3: A child holds a sign that reads in Spanish ‘Somos Libres’ (We Are Free) during a rally after the confirmation of Nicolas Maduro’s capture this early morning in Caracas on January 3, 2026 in Santiago, Chile. President Donald Trump announced that Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in the early morning in Caracas after a military operation led by the Delta Force, the elite special missions unit of the U.S. military. (Photo by Sebastián Vivallo Oñate/Agencia Makro/Getty Images)

Venezuelans living in Chile celebrate in Santiago on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a “large scale strike” on Venezuela. The Trump administration said on December 3 that Venezuela’s captured Maduro and his wife will face “the full wrath of American justice” under drug and terrorism charges. (Photo by Javier TORRES / AFP via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT – Venezuelans living in Chile celebrate in Santiago on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a “large scale strike” on Venezuela. The Trump administration said on December 3 that Venezuela’s captured Maduro and his wife will face “the full wrath of American justice” under drug and terrorism charges. (Photo by Javier TORRES / AFP via Getty Images)

A Venezuelan man living in Chile celebrates in Santiago on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a “large scale strike” on Venezuela. The Trump administration said on December 3 that Venezuela’s captured Maduro and his wife will face “the full wrath of American justice” under drug and terrorism charges. (Photo by Javier TORRES / AFP via Getty Images)

Venezuelans living in Peru celebrate outside the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and his Venezuelan arch-foe. (Photo by Connie FRANCE / AFP via Getty Images)

A Venezuelan woman living in Peru celebrates with a national flag at the Miguel de Cervantes park, near the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and his Venezuelan arch-foe. (Photo by Connie FRANCE / AFP via Getty Images)

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