After the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump claimed that the United States was now effectively “running” Venezuela. Washington’s subsequent dealings with Caracas appear to indicate that Trump has placed considerable trust in Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, who has assumed control of day-to-day governance. However, the situation unfolding on the streets of Venezuela, particularly in the capital Caracas, presents a far more grim and coercive reality, marked by armed patrols, fear, and repression rather than orderly civilian control.
In the immediate aftermath of Maduro’s seizure by US forces and his transfer to New York to face narco-trafficking charges, Venezuela’s new power structure—operating with backing from the White House—moved quickly to assert authority. Instead of reinforcing civilian institutions or reassuring the public, control has been imposed through the visible use of force. Armed militias have been deployed across neighbourhoods, masked gunmen have been stopping people to inspect their mobile phones, and at least 14 journalists, most of them linked to foreign media organisations, have been detained. While Trump may claim that Washington is now managing Venezuela’s affairs, the regime in Caracas appears to be scrambling to project dominance and suppress dissent following Maduro’s dramatic removal.
Reports from inside the country describe an atmosphere of intimidation. Armed groups loyal to the ruling establishment are reportedly hunting down individuals accused of collaborating with the United States. These militias have been chanting slogans such as “Always loyal, never traitors,” while branding opponents as enemies of the state. American journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro wrote on X that contacts inside Venezuela told her armed gangs—effectively paramilitary forces allied with the government—were roaming the streets, journalists were being arrested, and a fresh wave of repression was unfolding. She questioned whether this environment of fear and coercion was what the United States meant when it claimed to be “in control” of Venezuela.
Following Maduro’s arrest, his son Nicolás Maduro Guerra, often referred to as “the prince,” issued a warning on social media about internal betrayal. In an audio message, he cautioned that “history will reveal the traitors,” signalling a readiness to crack down on anyone suspected of disloyalty. He added that supporters would be visible on the streets alongside the people, projecting confidence even as repression intensified.
According to reporting by The Guardian, armed paramilitary groups known as colectivos were deployed across Caracas, riding motorcycles, carrying assault rifles, and setting up improvised checkpoints. Their apparent mission was to deter protest, search vehicles, and make it unmistakably clear that chavismo—the political ideology associated with Hugo Chávez and Maduro—still controls the streets. These colectivos, rooted in chavista mobilisation and loyal to the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, have long acted as enforcers for the government, particularly in poorer neighbourhoods.
Witness accounts and online videos show masked men blocking highways, entering opposition-leaning neighbourhoods, and interrogating residents. A local leader told BBC Mundo that hooded gunmen were patrolling streets and checking people’s WhatsApp statuses. For ordinary citizens, this has created a climate of extreme anxiety. One Caracas resident told The Guardian that before leaving home he deleted all WhatsApp chats, fearing that he could be stopped at a roadblock and arrested simply for what was found on his phone.
Security analysts say the presence of colectivos is intended not only to suppress public mobilisation through fear but also to counter what the government believes are US reconnaissance activities. Andrei Serbin Pont, head of the Buenos Aires-based research group CRIES, told Bloomberg News that the deployment of armed civilians was part of a broader repression strategy aimed at maintaining internal control and preventing challenges to the regime.
Media freedom has also been severely curtailed. According to the BBC, at least 14 journalists and media workers were detained in Caracas, including 13 employed by international news outlets. Although most were later released, one reporter was deported. Journalists were detained at the National Assembly, in surrounding areas, and in opposition-supporting neighbourhoods such as Altamira. Some were reportedly held by Venezuela’s military counter-intelligence agency, while others were detained by the intelligence services.
The interim government has also issued an emergency decree authorising nationwide arrests of individuals accused of supporting or promoting the US operation that captured Maduro. The Daily Mail reported that militias were actively searching for perceived collaborators, openly labelling them “pigs.” For many Venezuelans, the sudden militarisation of everyday life has deepened fear and uncertainty. Residents describe an environment in which armed civilians roam freely and anyone suspected of sympathy toward the US could be detained.
Although shops and bakeries have reopened and people have returned to work, the sense of normalcy remains fragile. Late-night gunfire—reportedly linked to security forces shooting down unauthorised drones they believed were part of another US operation—has only heightened public anxiety. American commentator Ezra Klein wrote in an opinion piece for The New York Times that it was unrealistic to imagine a government dominated by long-entrenched chavistas simply accepting the role of being puppets of a US administration.
Venezuela now finds itself in a precarious limbo, shaped both by Trump’s geopolitical calculations and by the new regime’s determination to assert control through force. While Trump-backed Delcy Rodríguez speaks of sovereignty and stability, real power on the ground is being enforced by armed militias and fear. Trump’s posture has narrowed the space for political opposition and exposed internal fractures within the chavista order. For ordinary Venezuelans, caught between global power politics and gun-wielding patrols, the future appears uncertain, tense, and unforgiving—underscoring that despite Washington’s claims, control over Venezuela is far from settled.
