The early hours in Caracas were shattered by a series of explosions that one local journalist initially mistook for an earthquake. This marked the beginning of a dramatic US military intervention in Venezuela, following the removal of President Nicolás Maduro.
‘I thought it was an earthquake’: A capital under attack
Anna, a pseudonym for a journalist based in Venezuela's capital, was awake at nearly 2am when the first blast rocked the city. "The first explosion, I swear I thought it was an earthquake," she told Helen Pidd. It was only as the detonations continued relentlessly for twenty minutes that the grim reality set in. "Something deep down told me, you know, it's the Americans," she recalled.
Anna describes a pervasive atmosphere of nervousness on the streets of Caracas in the wake of the attack. She connects the new, uncertain political and economic dynamic to a long-standing feeling among Venezuelans: a profound lack of autonomy over their own nation's destiny. Her account serves as a stark warning to other nations about the fragility of democracy.
A fractured leadership and a nation on edge
Tom Phillips, the Guardian's Latin America correspondent, provided further analysis from the region. He detailed the apprehension and complex emotions of Venezuelans fleeing across the border into Colombia, seeking refuge from the instability.
Phillips highlighted critical issues within the new political landscape:
- A palpable mistrust and fragility plaguing the emerging leadership.
- Significant disappointment within the opposition movement, whose hopes for a democratic transition have been overshadowed by foreign intervention.
- The pivotal role of Venezuela's vast oil reserves in shaping the political calculations of the United States.
The enduring grip of deprivation
Beyond the immediate political crisis, both contributors underscored the severe humanitarian situation that continues to strangle Venezuela. The discussion concluded with a focus on the intense depth of deprivation affecting the population, a crisis that predates the recent military action and poses a monumental challenge for any future government.
The events described paint a picture of a country at a devastating crossroads, its immediate future hinging on unstable new alliances and the geopolitical interests of external powers.
