Venezuelans faced a fraught week after U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The Trump Administration said it would oversee Venezuela’s oil exports and manage their global sales, framing the move as a step toward economic stabilization and political transition. The unrest touched daily life: armed pro-government groups appeared, families gathered outside prisons awaiting releases, and the military buried the dead amid ongoing economic hardship.
A Week in Photos: Venezuela After the U.S. Strike That Ousted President Nicolás Maduro
Pro-government armed civilians stop motorcyclists in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Venezuelans endured a tense and uncertain week after U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The operation and its aftermath spilled into everyday life across the country, highlighting deep political and economic fractures.
The U.S. Response: The Trump Administration announced plans to oversee Venezuela’s oil exports and direct their international sales. Officials said the move is intended to stabilize the economy and encourage a political transition, though the long-term effects remain uncertain.
Scenes From the Ground: The upheaval was visible in neighborhoods and public spaces: pro-government armed civilians surfaced in several cities, families waited outside prisons for promised releases, and the military conducted burials for those killed in the unrest. Despite the turmoil, many residents tried to carry on with daily life amid persistent economic strain.
Photo Gallery
This photo gallery, curated by AP photo editors, captures the human impact of a country in flux — from grief and fear to quiet resilience. The images document public reactions, security tensions, and ordinary routines disrupted by extraordinary events.
This photo gallery was curated by AP photo editors.
Workers repair damage to an apartment building hit in U.S. strikes during an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in La Guaira, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Jesus Linares, right, removes a painting of independence hero Simon Bolivar at his home, which he says was hit during U.S. military operations to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A military officer comforts Ramona Palma, the mother of Venezuelan soldier Cesar Garcia, who was killed in a U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, after Garcia's wake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Cemetery workers lower the casket of a soldier killed in the U.S. raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife into the ground in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE - A government supporter holds an image of President Nicolas Maduro during a women's march to demand his return in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 6, 2026, three days after U.S. forces captured him and his wife. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Government supporters gather for a women's march to demand the return of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, three days after U.S. forces captured him and his wife. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Performers on stilts dressed as former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores wave during a march by government supporters calling for their release after U.S. forces captured them, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Commuters ride a bus past a mural calling for the release of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was detained by U.S. forces, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A barber cuts hair at a barbershop in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A woman sits in front of a store in the Petare neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Jacklin Ibarreto, whose father Miguel Ibarreto is detained, waits outside the Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the government would release Venezuelan and foreign prisoners. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Relatives of political prisoners gather outside the Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the government would release Venezuelan and foreign prisoners. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Ivan Vegas separates discarded objects of aluminum and iron to sell by weight in Guatire, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Pedestrians walk past a supermarket in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Children play baseball at the 23 de Enero neighborhood in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, a week after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A couple sits on a bench at a viewpoint overlooking the U.S. embassy, center left, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Government supporters rip an American flag in half during a protest in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, 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)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Fuel tanker trucks unload fuel at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A man works out at a public park in the La Candelaria neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Vendors display vegetables at a street market in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Residents look at a damaged apartment complex that neighbors say was hit during U.S. strikes to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Relatives carry the coffin of Rosa Elena Gonzalez, 80, who died after her apartment was hit during a U.S. strike to capture President Nicolas Maduro, at the cemetery in La Guaira, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Relatives and friends of political prisoners hold candles calling for their loved ones to be set free outside the Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 after the government announced prisoners would be released. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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