Messages began circulating in the early hours of the morning. Explosions in Caracas. Military aircraft flying low. Attacks on strategic targets. And then the claim that Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, had been detained. For many Venezuelans living in Spain, the night quickly turned into an emotional rollercoaster marked by hope, anxiety and disbelief.
Spa.in Press
“You can hear the planes and the detonations… maybe this is the beginning of the end,” wrote a 52-year-old Venezuelan woman in a WhatsApp message to her family. Others described trembling buildings, sleepless hours and growing fear, particularly in neighbourhoods close to military facilities such as Fuerte Tiuna and the La Carlota air base.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump confirmed a large-scale attack on several military targets in Venezuela. He also stated that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had left the country “by air” and were now in US custody. These claims have not yet been independently verified.
Among the Venezuelan diaspora in Spain, information has spread rapidly through private messaging groups. Jubilation has been tempered by caution. Many participants have urged one another to delete messages shortly after reading them, fearing reprisals against relatives still in Venezuela. The government in Caracas has long been accused of monitoring private communications and carrying out arbitrary arrests of opposition figures.
“We are safe, but the bombardments were extremely intense,” said a 33-year-old Venezuelan resident in Spain who has been in constant contact with his family in Caracas. Like all those interviewed, he requested anonymity. Despite the surge of optimism among some, concern for loved ones remains widespread.
Politically, the situation remains highly uncertain. Should Maduro no longer be in power, the constitutional line of succession would place Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez at the head of the government. Whether this would lead to the collapse of the chavista system — in place since the era of Hugo Chávez — or merely usher in a new phase of authoritarian rule remains unclear. Analysts warn of a potential power vacuum and internal instability.
“Hopefully they will go all the way. But what happens next?” wrote a Venezuelan woman based in Madrid. For many, memories of Chávez’s death and the regime’s survival for more than a decade afterwards have dampened expectations.
Caught between jubilation, fear and cautious hope, thousands of Venezuelans in Spain are now waiting for reliable confirmation of events. For them, this is not an abstract geopolitical confrontation, but a deeply personal moment — one that touches on family, return and the possibility that Venezuela may finally be approaching a historic turning point.
