January rang in a new year for people all across the globe, and for Venezuelans, it rang in new leadership. In the first week of January, many Venezuelan-Americans received videos from family members of open celebration in the streets, protests and empty store shelves in Venezuela as people stockpiled essential goods, fearing a total collapse of civil order.
On Jan. 3, 2026, Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro was captured by United States military forces and transported to New York to face criminal charges. Maduro, who became the president in 2013, and his wife Cilia Flores, were indicted on counts of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation and weapons of possession. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was then sworn in as acting president.
According to Venezuelan-Indian American freshman Leila Rajpar, the instability in Venezuela predates Maduro and can be attributed to his predecessor Hugo Chavez’s dictatorship, which established the systemic vulnerabilities and policies that led to complete economic collapse, human rights violations and massive shortages of food and medicine.
“This cycle of dictatorship has got to end. During the era of Chavismo, I know a lot of people used to have to trade food for gas,” Rajpar said. “Now, my grandmother was telling us that there’s still a lot of U.S. military forces patrolling, so it’s really hard for Venezuelans to have free speech because they’re too worried they will face consequences for having [anti-U.S. views].”
In an email to The Cypress, Brookline parent Jennifer Casas, who has family in Venezuela and emigrated from there, said that her foremost concern has always been the safety of her relatives. She said that despite being someone who does not instinctively support military intervention, Venezuelans had already exhausted every peaceful avenue in appealing for change. The United States’ removal of Maduro was a lifeline for Venezuelans who remained in the country under the regime, Casas said, while those who emigrated earlier have more mixed views.
“Many Venezuelans see the U.S. as the lesser of evils or even a potential stabilizing force. But Maduro’s removal alone doesn’t resolve the deep institutional damage,” Casas wrote. “Experts agree the country is currently in a constitutional vacuum with no clear path to legitimate governance.”
Dean of Students Astrid Allen said she is also exposed to conflicting views. Colombia, where her maternal family lives, has received the largest share of the diaspora, with 2.8 million Venezuelan immigrants fleeing into the neighboring country. She said that because her family was concerned with Colombia’s political situation deteriorating similarly to Venezuela’s, they expressed to her how pleased they are with the Trump administration’s takeover. Meanwhile, Allen said her friends and news sources in Massachusetts reflect fears about what kind of precedent the United States is setting as a global superpower.
“On one hand, I support Venezuelans who are happy about this change,” Allen said. “But on the other hand, I think about my knowledge of history from teaching Spanish and all of the military coups, dictatorships and American involvement in South and Central America in the past. I don’t have faith in the articulation of a plan that doesn’t put Americans first. So, what path are we on now?”
Sophomore Andres Polanco said he has not been able to visit Venezuela since he was four years old. He also said that Maduro’s removal was one of the greatest things to happen in the country’s history and that the Venezuelan people have been suffering for over a decade. Polanco said he had cousins flee the country for Florida as recently as last year.
“We’re just happy to have the horrible man gone at the end of the day. It’s a huge thing. We also want the opposition leader, Maria Cina Machado, to try to get back into the government,” Polanco said. “But I think people in the country [Venezuela] would much rather have the U.S take our oil and have a freer country than what we had before.”
According to Casas, Venezuelans abroad need credible guarantees that it is safe to come home. She said Venezuela used to be a beautiful country with incredible natural wealth, but that now the poverty rate has been pushed above 90 percent, causing the massive diaspora of eight million people.
“These are individuals who lost everything: homes, careers and stability,” Casas wrote. “As someone who has spent half of my life in the United States, I hoped this would not turn into another Iraq‑like scenario. Venezuelans want a peaceful transition — not foreign occupation, but genuine democratic restoration.”
