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Venezuelan Diaspora Celebrates After U.S.-Led Operation Captures Maduro

Trump says the U.S. will oversee Venezuela temporarily, with questions mounting over the country's next steps.

Alejandra Arrieta, 55, and her dog Bella pose for a photo outside of El Arepazo restaurant to celebrate the news of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro capture in Doral, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vanessa Alvarez)
From left, Venezuelans David Nuñez, Lisbeth Garcia, Victor Gimenez gather outside El Arepazo restaurant with a banner of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado amid celebrations following news of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro capture in Doral, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vanessa Alvarez)
People celebrate outside Versailles Cuban Cuisine after President Donald Trump announced Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country, in Miami, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)
Lorenzo Coppola, 47, and his son Valentino join others to celebrate the news of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro capture in Doral, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vanessa Alvarez)

Overview

  • Venezuelans in South Florida, Chile and Spain rallied, waving flags and chanting for freedom after reports of Maduro’s removal.
  • In Doral, Florida, large crowds gathered outside the El Arepazo restaurant from before dawn as word spread that Maduro was seized and flown out of the country.
  • Trump said the U.S. government would run Venezuela on an interim basis and described the action as the culmination of a long pressure campaign.
  • Roughly 7.7 million Venezuelans have left since 2014, with 2.8 million in Colombia and 1.7 million in Peru, according to U.N.-linked figures.
  • The New York Post reported that Maduro and his wife were flown to the United States and indicted on federal charges.