Residents of a housing estate in Catia La Mar, a coastal town near Caracas, have recalled the terrifying night explosions and gunfire that shattered their community during a sudden military operation ordered by United States President Donald Trump that led to the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
For many residents, the chaos that erupted shortly before 2 a.m. on January 3 initially seemed unreal.
Ángel Linares said his first reaction after hearing a loud buzzing sound followed by an explosion was that neighbours were celebrating the new year with fireworks.
Moments later, his apartment windows exploded, walls shook violently, and parts of the building collapsed.
His 85-year-old mother, Jesucita Linares, initially feared Venezuela had been struck by another devastating earthquake similar to the one that hit the country in 1967.
Nearby resident Elizabeth Herrera also woke up in confusion before realising the sounds outside were not fireworks but gunfire.
“Tah-tah-tah-tah-tah-po-po-tah-tah-tah,” she recalled hearing after the explosion.
Herrera said panic spread quickly among residents as people tried to understand what was happening.
“Is it a coup? … I don’t believe ‘Papá Trump’ would have dared to invade,” she remembered her husband saying as confusion intensified across the estate.
But according to reports, Trump had indeed authorised a swift military operation targeting Maduro, with helicopters, missiles and special forces striking military facilities along Venezuela’s northern coastline.
Residents described the attack as traumatic, especially for families living close to the targeted military areas.
“They were 10 minutes that felt like an interminable hour,” Herrera said, adding that two elderly neighbours died during the operation.
She also spoke emotionally about her autistic son’s reaction while they sought shelter in a nearby school.
“Mummy, are we the baddies? Are Venezuelans the baddies? Are they going to kill us?” the child reportedly asked.
Herrera said she tried to reassure him.
“I told him, ‘No, it’s probably just an issue between the White House and Miraflores,’” she explained, referring to Venezuela’s presidential palace.
Her son, however, struggled to understand why ordinary civilians were caught in the violence.
“So why are they shooting at us?” he asked.
Months after the operation, many Venezuelans are still trying to understand the country’s political direction following Maduro’s removal and the emergence of Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez as the nation’s leader.
The dramatic intervention has triggered mixed reactions across the country, with some citizens hopeful about political change while others remain fearful and uncertain.
Former political prisoner Jesús Armas described the current atmosphere as surreal.
“Everything is so confusing …. This feels sometimes like an illusion,” he said.
Although Maduro’s exit ended years of political repression and allegations of electoral fraud, critics say the expected democratic transition has not fully materialised.
Still, there have been visible changes in the country.
Murals honouring Maduro have reportedly been removed in several locations, political prisoners have been released, and some exiled activists have returned.
Outside El Helicoide, Venezuela’s notorious detention facility, protesters recently gathered to demand elections and freedom for detainees still in custody.
“People have lost their fear,” human rights advocate Jeisi Blanco said during the protest.
“They aren’t just statistics, they are people with stories and with families who have spent more than three years behind bars,” she added.
Meanwhile, officials from Washington have praised what they describe as a new political opening in Venezuela.
“The president likes action. He also likes deals, and he likes progress, and we’re seeing all of that in a very short period of time,” said Jarrod Agen, director of Trump’s national energy dominance council.
However, critics remain uneasy over the growing relationship between the new Venezuelan leadership and Washington, especially amid concerns that the country’s vast oil wealth is becoming the main focus.
Herrera admitted that her initial excitement after Maduro’s removal eventually faded.
“I thought it was all over … I thought, thank goodness we’re going to escape this situation which is strangling us,” she said.
But she added that many ordinary citizens still feel trapped in hardship.
“On the news, they talk about how much oil they’ve taken and how much gold … yet we’re stuck in the same place,” she lamented.
For Jesucita Linares, the biggest fear now is the possibility of another attack.
“I’ve been asking God for this never to happen again,” she said quietly.
“But you never really know.”
