Venezuelan Exiles Confront Pro-Maduro Protests Abroad as Global Celebrations Mark Regime’s Fall

 As small pro-Maduro demonstrations emerged in cities such as Mexico City and San Juan, Puerto Rico, they were met by immediate and vocal counter-protests from Venezuelan exiles, who challenged both the legitimacy and the composition of those rallies following the U.S. operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Venezuelan expatriates on the ground insist that none of the individuals protesting against the U.S. action were Venezuelan citizens. Instead, they argue, the demonstrations were largely made up of local activists affiliated with leftist or communist political movements in their own countries, expressing ideological alignment rather than representing the views of Venezuelans.

In Puerto Rico, a video widely shared on social media shows two Venezuelan citizens confronting a pro-Maduro group, accusing participants of falsely claiming Venezuelan identity. In the footage, the Venezuelans assert that the demonstrators are Puerto Rican activists with no direct experience of life under Venezuela’s socialist system, saying they “do not know what they are talking about.”

At the same time, scenes across the world told a sharply different story. Venezuelans in exile poured into streets and public squares in multiple countries, waving Venezuelan flags, chanting, dancing, and celebrating what many described as the liberation of their country. Videos show crowds rejoicing, embracing, and openly thanking the United States for the operation that ended Maduro’s rule.

For many in the diaspora, the celebrations reflected years of accumulated grief and displacement. Exiles repeatedly emphasized that supporters of Maduro abroad have never experienced food shortages, the collapse of hospitals, power outages, or mass migration, realities that forced millions of Venezuelans to flee.

“These protests are not about Venezuela,” said one Venezuelan counter-protester. “They are about ideology.”

Yet amid the celebrations, uncertainty quickly set in. While Venezuelans worldwide expressed relief and hope, major questions remain about the political transition: who will govern in the immediate term, how power will be transferred, and what framework will guide new elections.

 

Confusion deepened following remarks by President Donald Trump, who publicly questioned whether opposition leader María Corina Machado has sufficient support inside Venezuela and expressed skepticism about her ability to lead the country effectively. His comments surprised many Venezuelans who had viewed Machado as a central figure in the opposition movement.

The statements have reignited a critical and unresolved debate: Who will be the next president of Venezuela?

As Venezuelans celebrate the end of Maduro’s rule, they now face a new phase—one defined not by resistance, but by reconstruction, political legitimacy, and the challenge of choosing leadership after decades of authoritarianism. The answer to who governs next remains unclear, even as the streets fill with flags and hope.