Venezuelans at home and abroad reacted strongly after U.S. officials said a military operation captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Streets filled with both celebratory crowds and protesters denouncing the strikes as an act of war. Regional leaders, including Colombia's Gustavo Petro and Cuba's Miguel Díaz-Canel, called for international attention. Photojournalists captured scenes from Caracas to major cities across Europe and Latin America.
World Reactions: Venezuelans Protest and Celebrate After U.S. Operation Claimed To Have Captured Nicolás Maduro
People react to the news of the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, after U.S. military actions in Venezuela on Saturday, in Doral, Florida, near Miami. / Credit: GIORGIO VIERA /AFP via Getty Images
Protesters and celebrants took to the streets across the globe after U.S. officials, and President Trump, announced a military operation in Venezuela that they say resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Photojournalists documented emotional scenes from Caracas to cities in Europe and Latin America.
Explosions, Claims and Immediate Responses
Explosions were reported in Caracas and in areas near airports and military bases overnight as the U.S. described the intervention as a "large-scale" operation. The claim that Maduro and his wife were captured has been made publicly by U.S. officials and President Trump; Venezuelan authorities have denied the characterization and demanded their release.
Official Statements
Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez declared that Nicolás Maduro remains the country’s "only president" and called on the United States to free Maduro and his wife. Meanwhile, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez condemned what he called "the criminal attack by the U.S.", joining protesters in Havana and urging international condemnation.
Public Reaction Across Latin America
Reactions across the region were sharply divided. In Chile many Venezuelan expatriates poured into the streets to celebrate the U.S. action, while in Argentina left-wing groups protested outside the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires with signs reading: "We condemn the U.S. bombing and the kidnapping of Maduro." In Bogotá, some residents celebrated even as Colombian President Gustavo Petro warned of the strikes and called for a U.N. meeting, posting: “Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela bombing with missiles.”
Venezuelan Diaspora in Europe
Venezuelan communities across Europe also demonstrated varied responses. Rallies in Rome included both supporters of Maduro and opponents; Spain, which hosts one of the largest Venezuelan populations in Europe according to the European Union Agency for Asylum, saw both celebrations and protests. In Greece and Germany, growing Venezuelan asylum-seeker communities were photographed publicly opposing the U.S. operation.
What photojournalists captured: emotional scenes in Caracas, outside the White House, and in cities across Spain, Italy, Greece, Mexico, Chile and beyond, illustrating how the Venezuelan diaspora and local populations are split over the intervention.
The situation remains fluid, with competing claims from U.S. and Venezuelan officials and widespread international reaction. Photo coverage continues to document the immediate human and political fallout.
Protesters rally outside the White House Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Washington, after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a military operation. / Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gather along an avenue in Caracas, Venezuela. / Credit: Pedro Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images
Supporters of Nicolas Maduro burn a United States flag during a gathering near Miraflores palace after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in the early hours on Jan. 3, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela. / Credit: Jesus Vargas / Getty Images
Venezuelans living in Chile celebrate in Santiago after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. / Credit: Javier TORRES /AFP via Getty Images
A woman in Mexico City defaces the facade of the U.S. Embassy with red handprints in protest against the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. / Credit: Marco Ugarte / AP
A demonstrator holds a banner with a message that reads in Spanish:
People celebrate at the Bolivar square in Bogota, Colombia, after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. / Credit: Luis ACOSTA /AFP via Getty Images
A man pastes a sign reading
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel (center) flutters a Venezuelan and Cuban national flags in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Havana. / Credit: ADALBERTO ROQUE /AFP via Getty Images
Demonstrators hold a banner reading
Dozens of Venezuelans celebrate the
A protester in Athens, Greece, raises a U.S. flag which has been set ablaze during a rally opposing the United States strikes on Venezuela and the capturing of its President Nicolas Maduro. / Credit: Yorgos Karahalis / AP
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