Venezuelans in New York Metropolis are expressing nervousness and combined emotions over President Donald Trump’s abrupt seize of Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3. Some Venezuelan New Yorkers wept with pleasure exterior the court docket constructing, however many have additionally expressed unease and fear for family members who stay within the nation.
Beneath Maduro’s rule, which started in 2013, Venezuelans who publicly oppose him have been detained, exiled and killed, and residents have confronted inflation as excessive as 50% for meals and different necessities. Almost eight million have fled the nation below Maduro’s rule, in accordance with the UN Refugee Company.
Nonetheless, Maduro has stated he was “kidnapped” and that the fees have been an excuse for america to go after Venezuela’s wealthy oil provide — which Trump has stated he desires to do.
Though the Bronx Venezuelan inhabitants is comparatively small —about 2,400, in accordance with one analysis agency’s estimate— Trump’s determination to take Maduro has drawn robust criticism from some native elected officers.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents elements of the Bronx and Queens, stated in a publish on X, previously referred to as Twitter, that Trump’s actions weren’t about stopping a drug trafficker however about “oil and regime change. And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t.”
State Senator Gustavo Rivera stated the scenario was an unwelcome reminder of previous U.S. interventions in Puerto Rico.
“Two things are true: Maduro is an authoritarian who has irreparably harmed his country. But it is also true that the United States has no business kidnapping the sitting head of state of any sovereign nation,” Rivera stated in a Jan. 7 publish on Instagram.
‘Finally, justice came to the country’
The Bronx Occasions spoke with two New Yorkers dwelling in higher Manhattan who felt the nervousness of their family members again in Venezuela.
Héctor Arguinzones, who lives in Harlem, stated he was glad to see Maduro taken down. In 2014, Arguinzones and his spouse have been granted asylum from Venezuela and got here to New York Metropolis with their son, who was six on the time.
Earlier than lengthy, Arguinzones started working to assist displaced households like his. He based the nonprofit Venezuelans and Immigrants Assist (VIA) 10 years in the past to help new migrants by connecting them with church buildings, attorneys, English courses, psychological well being help and different assets.
Arguinzones stated VIA is just not a political group, however it’s not possible to totally put aside his expertise as a Venezuelan in response to latest occasions.
“Finally, justice came to the country,” he instructed the Bronx Occasions. However on the similar time, folks in Venezuela “are not celebrating.”Arguinzones stated Venezuelans are nonetheless dwelling in concern, with a curfew in place and authorities officers “menacing the people” by looking out their cell telephones and asking to see identification.
Residents reside “almost in quarantine,” he stated.
Maduro’s regime is successfully nonetheless in place, Arguinzones stated. Individuals are nonetheless afraid to talk out in opposition to him and are additionally anxious about extra sensible considerations, equivalent to energy outages and potential meals shortages.
Arguinzones’ household and associates in Venezuela are “not okay,” he stated. “They are scared. They don’t know what is going to happen the next day.”
Arguinzones stated he’s amongst those that imagine that Maduro was really born in Colombia, making him an illegitimate chief from the beginning. Regardless, Maduro’s regime was a “criminal organization,” and the individual arrested below Trump’s orders was “not a president,” in his view.
Since eradicating Maduro, Trump has stated america will “run” Venezuela — and Arguinzones stated he’ll watch to see if the U.S. will “lead or at least supervise the transition.” Solely specialists would understand how that might work, he stated.
However he stated the scenario is just not a real invasion as a result of no U.S. troops remained in Venezuela after its chief was taken. Since then, “The situation for people inside has worsened because there is not that supervision,” Arguinzones stated, including that some stabilizing pressure is required.
As he continues to work with lots of of migrants every week, principally in Manhattan and Queens, Arguinzones stated he expects many extra to benefit from VIA’s emotional help program, which is led by two Venezuelan psychologists educated in trauma counseling.
Arguinzones (proper) and his spouse Niruka Melendez (left) based a nonprofit to attach fellow Venezuelan immigrants with native assets. Their son, Samuel Arguinzones-Meléndez, was simply six when the household got here to NYC. Photograph courtesy VIA
Venezuelans in New York Metropolis are feeling anxious and unsure, and lots of are grappling with the truth that they might by no means return to their homeland, Arguinzones stated.
He stated he hopes to return to Venezuela sometime and that his 18-year-old son has been the primary motive he has stayed in New York Metropolis. Arguinzones stated his son is “more American than Venezuelan, but he’s Venezuelan in his heart.”
Regardless of the turmoil, he stated he feels optimistic now that his nation has seen “the beginning of the end of that regime that has oppressed Venezuelans for almost three decades now.”
‘Historic moment’
The USA’ seize of Maduro prompted one 37-year-old Venezuelan New Yorker to have interaction in protest for the primary time, becoming a member of a crowd of lots of who rallied in opposition to Trump in Occasions Sq. on Jan. 4.
Fernando Hernandez, who immigrated to Washington Heights in 2017, instructed the Bronx Occasions he attended the protest as a result of his nation is going through a “historic moment.”
“A country, a colony, what is it?” he stated. “It’s the beginning of an occupation that we don’t know when it’s gonna end.”
Fernando Hernandez, who immigrated from Venezuela in 2017, stated his dwelling nation “lost their self-determination” following america’ seize of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, 2026. Photograph courtesy Fernando Hernandez
When he married his spouse, who was born within the U.S. to a Venezuelan household, they determined to remain within the States. “I just fell in love with the city and how diverse it is,” Hernandez stated. “I feel like this is my home now.”
As america started bombing Caracas in the course of the night time, Hernandez stated his first thought was not of Maduro or Trump however for the protection of his household in that metropolis.
He was particularly anxious about his aged mom and his brother who has disabilities, however he couldn’t attain them from 1 a.m. till 9 a.m. on account of energy outages, he stated, including that that nervousness is one thing he hopes to by no means expertise once more.
Hernandez finally came upon his members of the family have been okay. Nonetheless, “They feel like the government’s still in power. The same government,” he stated.
His household has instructed him that collectivos —armed civilian militias— are roaming the streets. His mom is retired and anxious about her pension, meals entry and affordability, and his sister, who works a authorities job, was pressured to attend a protest in opposition to the U.S., he stated.
Venezuelans fear that extra U.S. bombings might come anytime. Besides, “Everybody is trying to live normally, trying to stop worrying every second about this,” Hernandez stated. “Otherwise, they will not be able to function.”
Hernandez known as Maduro “a criminal” however stated america didn’t have the fitting to make use of army energy in opposition to him — particularly for the reason that transfer seemed to be “an economic transaction,” he stated.
Hernandez stated Trump has not spoken of supporting new elections in Venezuela or stabilizing the federal government. As an alternative, the motive for operation seems to be to “recover oil that Venezuela stole from the U.S.”
“I just find that argument absurd,” Hernandez stated.
Though the Maduro regime was illegitimate, “I never read something like a country bombarding my country,” he stated, calling it “an act of war and a kidnapping of a head of state.”
Hernandez stated he understands why some Venezuelans are overjoyed with Trump’s actions. However the issue is how he took these actions, he stated.
With Maduro gone, Homeland Safety Advisor Stephen Miller and President Trump have prompt that “they’re just gonna run the country — they just own the country,” Hernandez stated.
He stated he’s anxious about what U.S. intervention means for the way forward for his nation.
“Venezuela lost their self-determination,” Hernandez stated. “And now, some people who are not Venezuelan are going to decide what’s gonna happen to the people and to the resources.”
