Q COSTARICA — A large group of Venezuelans living in Costa Rica gathered on Sunday, January 4th, in the Plaza de la Democracia, in downtown San José, to celebrate the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States, confirmed in the early hours of Saturday.
Throughout the morning, hundreds of people arrived at the plaza with Venezuelan flags, tricolor shirts, banners, and messages calling for the release of political prisoners.
The event unfolded in a mostly festive atmosphere, with applause, hugs, and chants, as attendees continued to share information about the events in Caracas and the international reactions.
On the streets of the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), cars with flags and beeping horns made their way through communities.
In the Plaza, entire families, seniors, and the young alike waved Venezuelan flags in celebration of what they consider a turning point in their home country’s political crisis. Some participants carried signs with slogans such as “Libertad para los presos políticos” and “Venezuela libre,” (Freedom for political prisoners and Free Venezuela) while others embraced each other, visibly moved.
Internationally, the reaction is one of high uncertainty about the political future of the South American country. The scenario unfolding after these events is complex and still uncertain, with multiple variables at play both inside and outside Venezuela.
For many Venezuelans presence in the Plaza, the day held symbolic significance: to celebrate an event from exile they consider historic, while awaiting profound changes in their country of origin.