Any hope that the removal of Nicolas Maduro would mark a clean break for
Venezuela faded within days, as familiar patterns of repression quickly reasserted themselves. By Monday, reports of detentions, an expanded security presence and the return of pro-government groups in Caracas signalled a renewed clampdown on dissent, even as
Delcy Rodriguez took over as interim leader.
For many, the moment felt historic. Messages of joy spread through private chats. Some cried. In Caracas, one family opened a bottle of champagne saved for months. After more than a decade under Maduro, there was cautious belief that change might finally come. That mood did not last.
Government moves to suppress dissent
Within days, the
government launched a nationwide crackdown. Journalists were detained. Civilians were arrested. Armed pro-government groups appeared on the streets of the capital.
“It feels like it did after the presidential elections in 2024,” said María, 55, speaking on condition of partial anonymity, reported the Washington Post.
“We won, but we also lost,” she said, referring to elections in which Maduro claimed victory despite tallies showing the opposition had prevailed.
Rodríguez sworn in as power structure holds
As the crackdown unfolded, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president on Monday at the National Assembly. Senior military officials publicly pledged loyalty to her, signalling continuity rather than change. The ceremony was overseen by her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, who heads the legislature.
At least 14 journalists and media workers were detained on Monday, according to the National Press Workers Union. As many as 11 were working for international outlets. Most were held for several hours before being released.
Several said military counterintelligence officers searched their phones. Many detentions took place near the National Assembly as Rodríguez took her oath.
Emergency decree widens arrests
Authorities also targeted ordinary citizens under a “state of external commotion” decree. The order instructed national, state and municipal police to arrest anyone “involved in promoting or supporting the armed attack by the United States of America”.
The decree, which entered into force on Saturday and was published in full on Monday, suspended the right to protest and authorised wide restrictions on movement and assembly.
In Mérida state, two people in their 60s were arrested for shouting anti-government slogans and for “celebrating the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores”, according to state police.
Armed groups set up checkpoints
Across Caracas, colectivos — pro-government paramilitary groups — established checkpoints. These appeared along major routes, including the Cota Mil highway north of the city.
Residents said they were stopped, questioned and forced to hand over their phones. Armed men reportedly scrolled through messages and social media in search of any sign of support for the US raid.
“We’re texting each other routes to avoid,” said one resident.
“You hear ‘don’t go there — they’re stopping cars with machine guns.’”
Following Maduro’s capture, President Donald Trump said the
United States was “running” Venezuela, though the extent of Washington’s influence remains unclear.
Trump said oversight would involve senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and himself. He told NBC on Monday that Venezuela was not ready to hold elections.
“We have to fix the country first,” he said. “We have to nurse the country back to health.”
On Tuesday, Trump suggested the government planned to shut down El Helicoide, a detention centre long used to hold and torture dissidents, according to rights groups.
Foro Penal said more than 860 political prisoners remain in state custody.
“Of course I have hope things could get better without Maduro,” a 30-year-old man in Caracas told The Washington Post.
“But from where I am, all I see is the same people who destroyed my country still in power. They’re still persecuting us. And we’re still afraid.”
Opposition raises alarm
In an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity, opposition leader María Corina Machado described the crackdown as “really alarming.” She urged the U.S. and the international community to closely monitor developments.
Machado, who left Venezuela in December to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway, described Rodríguez as “one of the main architects of torture, persecution [and] corruption.”
Late on Monday, gunshots were heard near the Miraflores presidential palace. Videos shared online showed armed men in the streets, prompting speculation of a coup.
Hours later, the Communication and Information Ministry said police had fired warning shots after “drones flew over the area without authorization.”
“The entire country is completely calm,” the statement said.
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