A highway in Caracas is full of cars.
But far from typical rush-hour traffic, Avenida Boyacá, a highway that runs past El Avila National Park in the Venezuelan capital, has come to a standstill as masked men wielding Kalashnikovs stop drivers and demand to search their phones and cars.
Gangs of armed men, part of pro-Maduro militias known as Colectivos, cleared vehicles at hastily erected checkpoints following a government directive to remove Venezuelans in support of the US’s reckless capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Days after the sudden beheading of the Maduro regime, Venezuelans have been left to fear what might come next as crowds of plainclothes men with assault rifles slung over their shoulders roam the streets.
“The future is uncertain, the Colectivos have weapons, the Colombian guerrillas are already here in Venezuela, so we don’t know what will happen, time will tell,” Oswaldo, a 69-year-old Venezuelan shop owner, told The Telegraph.
A state of emergency decree issued on Monday sought to end any public celebration of the US operation. It ordered police to “immediately begin a national search and capture of all those involved in promoting or supporting armed attack on the United States.”
Gangs of gunmen roam the streets to find Venezuelans who support the US capture of the ousted president and his wife – RONALD PENA R/EPA/Shutterstock
A Venezuelan woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she would no longer leave the house with her phone for fear she could be searched for anti-Maduro texts or photos, which could lead to her imprisonment.
Paramilitaries have already arrested 14 journalists and media workers – 11 from foreign news outlets – hours before releasing some of them. The whereabouts of other journalists are unknown.
The presence of the Colectivos, gunmen who ride around on motorcycles and are used as an unofficial weapon of government repression, suggests that Maduro loyalists are desperately trying to maintain control of the country.
Videos circulating on social media show armed men declaring that they will not allow Donald Trump and American “pigs” to come in and loot the country’s natural resources.
Another video shows Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, Mr Maduro’s closest ally, posing with a crowd of armed militiamen while shouting: “Always loyal, never traitors”.
Mr. Cabello, who has a $50 million bounty on his head for drug-trafficking charges, largely controls Colectivos.
Credit: Social Media
While Mr. Maduro pleaded his innocence and claimed he was a “prisoner of war” during his trial in Manhattan Federal Court, armed supporters said his heart and soul remained in Venezuela.
“There are enough people here, there are enough balls here to fight for this revolution, to fight for this homeland,” said a man who identified himself as Freddy Rodriguez, a member of Cupaz, a network set up by Maduro in 2019 to control the protests.
Mr Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores at their arraignment at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan US court in New York on Monday – JANE ROSENBERG/AFP
By Monday morning, most shops and businesses had reopened in Caracas, and long lines of panicked Venezuelans trying to buy supplies had dissipated.
Police and intelligence officers lined the streets of central Caracas, with two main streets closed, as Delcy Rodriguez, Mr. Maduro’s vice president, was sworn in by her brother, National Assembly leader Jorge Rodrigue.
“I am saddened by the suffering inflicted on the Venezuelan people by an illegitimate military aggression against our homeland,” she said as she raised her right hand.
“I come with sorrow for the kidnapping of two heroes.”
Her comments took a different tone from Sunday, when she said she had “invited the US government to work together on a cooperative agenda” following Mr Trump’s warning that he would pay a “very heavy price” if he did not follow through.
Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, sworn in by her brother, Jorge Rodriguez – Marcelo Garcia / Miraflores Press Office / AFP
In Caracas, Venezuelans who initially welcomed Maduro’s capture, hoping it would lead to real change in the country, felt deflated by Ms. Rodriguez’s rise and the continuation of Maduro’s regime.
The country’s constitution calls for elections within 30 days whenever the president becomes “permanently unavailable” to serve. However, the Supreme Court declared Mr Maduro’s absence to be “temporary”.
In such a scenario, the vice president takes over for up to 90 days – a period that can be extended to six months with a vote of the National Assembly.
María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and recent Nobel Peace Prize winner, said the militia crackdown was “truly alarming” and that the country’s transition to democracy must take place.
“Delcy Rodriguez, as you know, is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, drug trafficking,” Ms. Machado told Fox News. “She is an ally and a main link of Russia, China, Iran, certainly not someone that international investors can trust, and she is really rejected by the Venezuelan people.”
There was no discussion about holding democratic elections, and the future of the country still hangs in the balance.
“We wanted a change in the government because these people have done a lot of damage to the country; they forgot they were civil servants, they thought they owned the country,” said trader Oswaldo.
“But now we are at the same point, he left and another replaced him – Delcy Rodriguez, Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino López – they are all still here.”
Pro-Maduro militias, known as Colectivos, take part in a march calling for the release of Nicolás Maduro and his wife – Gaby Oraa/Reuters
Speaking to The Telegraph in Plaza Altamira while waiting for a job interview, Aurora said she had hoped for a regime change but said her main concern was putting food on the table.
“Most international leaders do not agree with what happened, but it happened.
“We saw it coming, everyone saw it coming, but no one imagined it would happen like this, so violently. Some wanted it and some didn’t, but there is no country in the world that can intervene in the government and say the oil is mine, no, that’s a lie, it belongs to the Venezuelan people.”
While she rejected Mr Trump’s suggestion that he would “rule” Venezuela, Aurora, a care worker from Petare, said: “We need a change and it was needed and now we need a transition.”
“Every birth involves pain and now we have to move forward,” she added.
Colectivos members guard the entrance to Caracas’ 23 de Enero neighborhood on Saturday after US forces captured Mr Maduro – Pedro Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images
Others were less accepting of the current situation.
“Honestly, I don’t think this should have happened; he [Maduro] he should be in his country, ruling his country,” said a 59-year-old sports coach, who asked not to be named.
“All I want Venezuela is for things to be calm, I’ve been through so much already… I know I haven’t been well, but emotionally and physically we’ve been calmer.”
The thought of Mr. Trump deciding what’s next for Venezuelans, as opposed to holding fair elections, has many worried.
“I don’t agree with what Trump said, he said he’s coming to lead our country — I want a transition, I want an election,” Oswaldo said.
“If the majority of people are in favor of Delcy, fine, if there are transparent elections and we recognize the results peacefully – if Chavismo wins, then fine, but if the opposition wins, they will have to admit defeat.”
Journalists in Caracas contributed to this report but asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals from the regime.
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