After US Strikes, Venezuelans Flock for Supplies Amid Fear and Empty Streets

A Nation in Uncertainty

As tensions escalated, the people of Venezuela found themselves in a state of heightened anxiety. The events leading up to the U.S. military operation sparked a wave of nervous shopping across the country. Residents rushed to pharmacies, supermarkets, and stores, stockpiling essential items such as water, corn flour, butter, cheese, bread, rice, and non-perishable goods like tuna. This "nervous shopping" run was driven by fears of prolonged conflict and uncertainty about what lay ahead.

Most shops remained closed until dawn, with some opening late, close to midday. Store owners expressed concerns about whether they would even be able to open. One grocery store owner shared that some of his workers had not shown up, and the lines outside the store were long. The sense of unease was palpable as Venezuelans prepared for the worst.

In Maracaibo, the country's second-largest city, residents took advantage of the situation to fill up their cars at gas stations. There was an ample supply of fuel for hundreds of cars, bikes, and trucks. Notably, trucks from the state-owned PDVSA oil company arrived to refill the tanks of gas stations, highlighting the ongoing reliance on government resources.

Promised Counterattacks?

The bombardment in the Venezuelan capital by U.S. forces lasted just over two hours, beginning around 2 a.m. Amid the explosions, many Venezuelans waited for the promised counterattacks by strongman Nicolas Maduro's armed forces and paramilitaries. However, these counteroffensives were largely absent, leaving many confused and disoriented.

As daylight broke across Caracas and cities like Maracaibo, Barquisimeto, Valencia, Ciudad Bolívar, and Margarita, the sunshine revealed desolate streets and shuttered businesses. The absence of any significant response from the Venezuelan government left many questioning the direction of their country.

Then came the news from Trump, posted on social media, that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured by U.S. military forces in Caracas and flown out of the country to face criminal charges of "narco-terrorism." The image of Trump's post on Truth Social spread rapidly among the chats and messaging groups of thousands of Venezuelans both inside and outside the country.

Mixed Reactions

One woman said she cried with happiness, while another was cautious, waiting for the political history of her country to change again all at once. Few people appeared to understand the early pronouncements after the bombings by the top leaders of Maduro's collaborators. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello called for calm; Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino promised loyalty in the face of a "despicable" attack; Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded that the U.S. prove Maduro was still alive.

There were no countermeasures by the armed forces, nor were Venezuelans called to begin a guerrilla campaign in the name of the country's socialist project, as Maduro had announced in the event of foreign aggression. It was as if the enemy had vanished, and there was no one to fight anymore in the middle of the day.

Fear and Caution

"Take shelter, be prudent at home," a Venezuelan man advised his friends and family in Maracaibo. There was fear of expressing themselves freely on social networks, and friends recommended each other to delete chats if they left their homes, because police might check their phones for signs of disloyalty.

On the state channel Venezolana de Televisión, statements from governors and mayors allied with Maduro demanding his release were broadcast along with live transmissions of uniformed men and dozens of government sympathizers condemning the U.S. attack. But as the hours passed, silence reigned in the streets. There were no crowds, no calls for war or revenge against opponents.

Confusion and Doubt

Shortly after noon, many watched Trump's press conference from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, in which he confirmed the military operation to capture Maduro and his wife in a Caracas fortress and announced that the United States would govern the country with a "team" and its military force until a safe transition is reached.

Trump's announcement, thousands of miles away, wiped away uncertainties about the effectiveness of the military operation in Caracas but created new doubts about the political future of the country. Political scientist Carmen Beatriz Fernández noted that this development raised multiple questions about Venezuela's future.

Trump's comment that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would work together with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to "do what we consider necessary to make Venezuela excellent again" created confusion among Venezuelans. Many who had been expecting the end of the Maduro regime for years were puzzled by the events.

"I was crazy and confused," confided a 45-year-old employee of a private oil company in response to Trump's statements about Rodríguez and his interest in Venezuelan oil. "How is it that Delcy is going to remain as president?" asked one woman, a public employee, who spoke of the accusations against Rodriguez of human rights violations and the country's dismal economy.

One of the woman's friends speculated in a private chat trying to console her and to convince herself that the U.S. president's words made sense: "She accepted Trump's terms," she said. "She gave up."