• Western media outlets provide wall-to-wall coverage of diaspora celebrations while minimizing global protest movements
• Around 2,000 march in Caracas demanding Maduro’s release as anti-war demonstrations spread across US cities
• CNN, NBC and major networks bury footage of burning American flags and “No Blood For Oil” rallies

MIAMI, FL (TDR) — While Western media outlets prominently featured jubilant diaspora celebrations following Nicolás Maduro‘s capture, they largely buried or ignored thousands of protesters across Venezuela and globally who condemned the military intervention as an illegal act of war—revealing a striking pattern of selective coverage that presents only half the story to American audiences.

Doral Becomes Celebration Epicenter

In Doral, Florida—affectionately nicknamed “Doralzuela” for its concentration of Venezuelan immigrants, roughly half the city’s population—crowds gathered before dawn outside El Arepazo restaurant as news spread of the military operation. Demonstrators sang both Venezuelan and American national anthems, waved flags and chanted “Libertad!” throughout the day.

“For the first time in many, many years, I am hopeful that I can see my family. We can see the house that my mother grew up in.”

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Luis Valdez, who hasn’t seen his family since 2010, told CBS Miami the Maduro capture celebrations represented the most freedom he’d felt in decades. Several demonstrators noted they would have been too fearful to protest openly in Caracas but felt safe expressing their emotions in the United States under free speech protections.

Celebrations Spread Across Hemisphere

Similar scenes unfolded across Latin America and beyond as the Venezuelan diaspora reacted to Saturday’s military strikes. In Santiago, Chile, Venezuelans poured into the streets with flags and signs reading “Somos Libres” (We Are Free). Crowds gathered at Bolívar Square in Bogotá, Colombia, and near the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima, Peru.

Montreal hosted multiple rallies over the weekend where Venezuelan exiles expressed cautious optimism about potentially returning home. Marta Rincon, who left Venezuela in 2011, acknowledged the violence of the operation but called it “an opportunity for us to start seeing democracy.”

“It’s very difficult being a migrant, having to leave not only your family, but your customs, your culture, leaving all of your nationality behind to go to a new country and start from zero.”

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David Rojas, who spent nearly a decade away from Venezuela, said the possibility of returning home sooner brought tears of joy despite the circumstances surrounding Maduro‘s removal.

Caracas Remains Largely Deserted

The atmosphere inside Venezuela stood in stark contrast to the jubilant Maduro capture celebrations abroad. CNN reported that footage from Caracas showed mostly desolate streets and highways, with anxious residents forming long lines at supermarkets and drugstores amid uncertainty.

Mary Triny Mena, a Feature Story News reporter in Caracas, described the capital as experiencing “moments of quiet” with most people deciding to remain home considering the day’s events. The smell of gunpowder from the lightning military strike lingered on largely deserted downtown streets early Saturday.

“I see a somewhat warlike atmosphere. Silence can say many things.”

A driver from eastern Caracas, who requested anonymity for security reasons, captured the tension gripping the capital following the military operation that removed Maduro from power.

Thousands March Demanding Maduro’s Release

What American media largely failed to prominently cover were the organized protests against US intervention that erupted both inside Venezuela and globally. Around 2,000 supporters of Maduro demonstrated Sunday in Caracas demanding his release from U.S. custody, according to AFP.

Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, wearing a military uniform, led a march near the presidential palace. Demonstrators chanted “We want Maduro,” “Maduro, hold on, the people are rising up!” and “We are here Nicolás Maduro. If you can hear us, we are here!” Groups of pro-Maduro paramilitaries and bikers accompanied protesters waving Venezuelan flags.

“Free our president.”

Placards held by demonstrators read “Venezuela is no-one’s colony,” a direct rebuke of President Donald Trump‘s announcement that Washington would “run” Venezuela during an unspecified transitional period. Some protesters burned American flags near Miraflores palace following the early morning strikes.

“The narcotrafficker and terrorist is Trump,” Nairda Itriago, 56, told AFP, accusing U.S. forces of killing “innocent people” during airstrikes that preceded Maduro‘s capture. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said a “large part” of Maduro’s security team were killed “in cold blood,” along with military personnel and civilians, though hospitals refused to divulge casualty figures.

Fear of Reprisals Silences Opposition

Some Maduro opponents inside Venezuela celebrated from their balconies, playing music while apparently fearing reprisals if they ventured into the streets. Groups of Maduro supporters did venture out near the presidential palace in a show of solidarity, with some demanding the leader’s release.

Michael Shifter, a senior fellow on Latin America at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, told CNN that Venezuelans inside the country have far more at stake than the diaspora celebrating abroad.

“They have to live with the consequences of what happens. They may be relieved that Maduro is no longer in power. They’re certainly not confident that what comes next is going to be better.”

President Donald Trump‘s announcement that the United States would “run the country” until a proper transition could be arranged contributed to heightened anxiety and apprehension inside Venezuela, according to Shifter. The uncertainty about governance and timeline left many Venezuelans wondering whether the transition would be orderly or chaotic.

Anti-War Protests Across United States

While mainstream American media focused heavily on diaspora celebrations, anti-war demonstrations erupted in multiple U.S. cities condemning the military intervention. About 50 protesters gathered outside Manhattan federal court Monday with signs reading “No War For Venezuelan Oil,” “No To Criminal Trump Invasion” and “No Blood For Oil,” according to PBS News.

The ANSWER Coalition, an antiwar group, organized protests in Times Square and outside the Metropolitan Detention Center where Maduro was held. Demonstrations also took place in Boston, Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Denver and Houston, with protesters braving freezing temperatures to voice concerns about potential bloodshed over oil access.

Caleb Kurowski, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation in Houston, drew comparisons to U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We already can see the results of U.S. interventions across the world and we don’t think that Venezuela will end up any different,” Kurowski told Houston Public Media.

Protesters outside the White House Saturday carried signs condemning what they characterized as an illegal military action motivated by Venezuela’s vast oil reserves rather than legitimate narcoterrorism concerns.

Global Condemnation of Intervention

International protests and diplomatic condemnation spread far beyond U.S. borders. Cuba‘s President Miguel Díaz-Canel joined protesters in Havana, calling the strikes “the criminal attack by the U.S.” and demanding urgent international community condemnation.

In Rome, demonstrators held banners reading “free now President Maduro” during a rally near the U.S. Embassy. Athens protesters set American flags ablaze during demonstrations opposing the strikes. Berlin activists displayed banners proclaiming “Fuera Yanquis de América Latina” (Yankees out of Latin America) in solidarity rallies.

“Venezuela is not going to be a U.S. colony.”

Andreína Chávez, a Venezuelan reporter based in Caracas, told Democracy Now that Venezuelan people were “going to the streets in an organized way” protesting the bombings and what they characterized as Maduro’s “kidnapping.” She described the intervention as “an imperialist attack, an unjustified military aggression” and rejected U.S. narcoterrorism justifications.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum “strongly condemns and rejects” the military action, stating the strikes breached the United Nations Charter. A woman in Mexico City defaced the U.S. Embassy facade with red handprints protesting Maduro‘s capture. Left-wing organizations in Buenos Aires protested outside the U.S. embassy with signs reading “We condemn the U.S. bombing and the kidnapping of Maduro.”

Media Blackout Creates Dangerous False Narrative

The selective coverage raises critical safety concerns as Trump plans to deploy American oil company workers and potentially maintain military presence in Venezuela. By presenting only jubilant celebrations while minimizing organized opposition, Western media outlets may be creating a dangerously false impression of conditions on the ground.

Trump announced Monday that energy companies would spend billions rebuilding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright scheduled to meet with Exxon, ConocoPhillips and Chevron executives this week. Yet American workers deployed to Venezuela based on sanitized media coverage could face hostile environments they’re unprepared for.

“If today was against Venezuela, tomorrow it can be against any state, any country.”

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez’s warning, along with confirmation that a “large part” of Maduro’s security team were killed during the operation, suggests significant resistance capacity remains. The fact that hospitals refused to divulge casualty figures and that U.S. troops were injured during the operation indicates the intervention faced armed opposition.

American Workers Could Face Deadly Resistance

Energy industry analysts have already expressed concerns about security for oil company operations. David Goldwyn, president of Goldwyn Global Strategies and chairman of the energy advisory group at the Atlantic Council, told CBS News that companies need “a stable physical environment, which is highly uncertain at this point.”

If American media continues portraying the situation as universally welcomed liberation rather than contested military occupation, oil workers and contractors could be deployed without adequate security preparations or realistic threat assessments. The organized nature of protests in Caracas—led by government officials in military uniforms and accompanied by paramilitaries—suggests opposition forces remain mobilized.

“They impose the law, they are the police of the world, they are assassins,” electrician Alfonso Valdez told PBS about the U.S. government, reflecting sentiment that could translate into violence against American workers perceived as occupiers rather than liberators.

Venezuela’s interim government issued a state of emergency decree ordering police to “immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States,” according to Reuters. This manhunt extends to anyone perceived as collaborating with American forces, potentially including Venezuelan workers cooperating with U.S. oil companies.

November Poll Showed Opposition to Intervention

Critical context missing from most American coverage: A November poll in Venezuela found 55 percent of participants opposed military intervention in their country, with an equal number opposing economic sanctions. This data, reported by Al Jazeera but largely absent from CNN and NBC coverage, contradicts narratives of universal support for American action.

The gap between media portrayal and ground reality became evident when Maduro supporters suspected betrayal from within his inner circle, questioning how U.S. special forces penetrated the country’s biggest military base. “How is it possible that the air defenses didn’t work?” a 69-year-old accountant told AFP, suggesting sophisticated insider knowledge or vulnerabilities in Venezuela’s security apparatus.

American personnel operating in this environment without clear understanding of opposition strength, organizational capacity, or willingness to resist could face ambushes, sabotage, or targeted attacks that catch both workers and the American public completely off guard.

Eight Million Fled Under Chavismo

The contrasting reactions reflect the massive displacement crisis that unfolded under more than a quarter-century of Chavismo rule. Approximately 8 million Venezuelans fled the country since 2014, according to the UN Refugee Agency, settling first in neighboring Latin American and Caribbean nations before increasingly setting their sights on the United States.

Many arrived through humanitarian parole programs with financial sponsors, while others undertook dangerous journeys walking through jungles in Colombia and Panama. The exodus represented the largest displacement crisis in the Americas, driven by economic collapse, political repression and humanitarian emergency under Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez.

Niurka Meléndez, who fled in 2015 and co-founded Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid in New York City, expressed hope that Maduro‘s ouster would improve conditions but acknowledged substantial challenges ahead.

“Removing an authoritarian system responsible for these crimes creates the possibility, not a guarantee, but a possibility, for recovery.”

Will sanitized media coverage lead to American oil workers and military personnel being deployed into Venezuela unprepared for the organized armed resistance they may actually face on the ground?

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