Verónica Gutiérrez woke up to what seemed like “a million WhatsApp messages” from her family in Venezuela after the U.S. launched a strike on the capital of the country that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday. “We have been living in this dictatorship for 26 years,” she said, referring to Maduro’s regime and that of his predecessor, Hugo Chávez. (@realDonaldTrump/Handout/Reuters)Ivon Valdebenito, another Venezuelan living in Halifax, said she is pleased that Maduro isn't in power anymore. “And this is just the beginning.”She said she remembers what it was like living in Venezuela. She cites concern about Trump’s treatment of Latin Americans living in his country, adding that mass deportations have affected many Venezuelans living in the U.S.

Source: CBC News January 04, 2026 22:16 UTC