Maduro’s capture is sparking excitement and anxiety in the diaspora of Venezuela

Venezuelan migrants around the world erupted in celebration on Saturday following the US-led arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, whose government has overseen the world’s largest exodus in recent history.

Chants celebrating Maduro’s capture are heard in the streets of Chile’s capital, where Venezuelans gather to share their joy.

“We are free. We are all happy that the dictatorship has fallen and that we have a free country,” said Khaty Yanez, a Venezuelan woman who spent the past seven years in Chile.

“My happiness is very great,” said his compatriot Jose Gregorio. “After so many years, after so many struggles, after so much work, today is the day. Today is the day of freedom.”

Since 2014, some 7.7 million Venezuelans, or 20 percent of the population, have left the country, unable to buy food or seek better opportunities abroad, according to the UN International Organization for Migration.

Neighboring Colombia received the largest share of the diaspora, with 2.8 million Venezuelans, followed by 1.7 million in Peru, according to the R4V platform, a group of regional NGOs that help migrants and refugees from Venezuela established by the UN migration agency.

In Peru’s capital Lima, scores of Venezuelans gathered, many wrapped in their country’s flag, to mark Maduro’s capture.

Venezuelan immigrant Milagros Ortega, whose parents are still in Venezuela, said he hopes to go back.

“Knowing that my father is still alive to see the fall of Nicolas Maduro is very painful. I would like to see his face,” he said.

Peruvian President Jose Jeri said on X that his government would facilitate the immediate return of Venezuelans, regardless of their immigration status.

For many years, the US has been a refuge for Venezuelans but many have been called criminals and forced to seek refuge elsewhere during the presidency of Donald Trump.

In Spain, thousands of people gathered in central Madrid at Puerta del Sol and applauded as they watched Trump’s press conference live.

In the afternoon, groups of Venezuelans are expected to gather to celebrate in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires.

Speculation about the future

After the initial excitement, there were doubts about the future of Venezuela, as Venezuelans abroad wondered what the future holds for their country and its citizens.

Andres Losada, who has lived in Spain for three years and is among the 400,000 Venezuelans living in the country according to official data, said he is torn between worry and joy about the situation in Venezuela.

“Although what people are going through in Caracas is difficult, I believe that beyond that there is a light that will lead us to freedom,” he added.

Venezuelan security forces guarded many empty streets early in the morning in the capital, Caracas, on Saturday. Most of the residents were staying at home, consuming the latest information on their phones, while others were going to buy food in case they needed to hunt for a long time.

Speaking to a local TV station in Spain, Agustin Rodriguez, vice president of Venezuela’s cultural association, expressed concern about the strikes but said “it may be necessary to find a way out of the country where there may be a return to the exchange of power, where there may be a future.”