Divided Reactions to Nicolás Maduro’s Capture After Surprise U.S. Raid — Photo Gallery, Jan. 2–8, 2026

Across Latin America and the Caribbean, reactions were sharply divided after a surprise nighttime raid by U.S. forces that resulted in the capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The operation also left Venezuelan and Cuban soldiers dead, prompting grief and condemnation in some quarters and celebrations in others.

Photographs from Jan. 2–8 capture the contrast: jubilant crowds and public demonstrations in places where people welcomed the outcome, and solemn vigils and mourning where families and communities gathered to grieve the fallen soldiers. The images reflect the political and emotional fault lines that the raid exposed across the region.

At the same time, Christians across the region observed Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day, with traditional celebrations and children opening gifts — a reminder of ordinary life and cultural continuity amid upheaval.

Photo gallery: This collection was curated by AP photo editor Anita Baca, based in Mexico City. For more images, see AP photography: https://apnews.com/photography. Follow AP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews.

FILE - Government supporters rip an American flag in half during a protest in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces had captured President Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - Revelers cheer as a Black and White Carnival parade float makes its way through the streets of Pasto, Colombia, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - Santeria followers prepare to perform a holy drum beat after the reading of the Letter of the Year, an annual prophecy from the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba, in Havana, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - A man hauls a bag of goods on his shoulders as he crosses the Colombian-Venezuelan border, in Villa del Rosario, Colombia, Jan. 5, 2026, just days after the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - A protester hurls back a canister in clashes with police during a Workers' Union protest against fuel subsidy cuts in El Alto, Bolivia, Jan. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Freddy Barragan, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - A boy dressed as the Grinch plays with other locals during a Three Kings Day celebration, also known as feast day of The Epiphany, in the Morro da Formiga favela, Rio de Janiero, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - A child playfully tosses into the air a teddy bear she was gifted at an event celebrating Three Kings Day at the base of the Angel of Independence monument, in Mexico City, Jan. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - Altar boys and girls line up to take part in a religious procession marking Three Kings Day, also known as feast day of The Epiphany, in the Guardia Viejo neighborhood of Guatemala City, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - A military officer comforts Ramona Palma, the mother of Venezuelan soldier Cesar Garcia, who was killed in a U.S. raid that captured President Nicolas Maduro, at the end of a wake honoring Garcia, in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - Enrique Alberto Viana smokes at one of sanctuaries of "Gauchito" Gil on the folk saint's annual feast day when believers ask for miracles or thank him, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FILE - Veterans of the 1959 Cuban Revolution take part in a parade marking the anniversary of Fidel Castro's arrival to the capital as the head of the rebel army, in Havana, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)