Venezuela’s Caracas, Caracas, carries on the rhythm of daily life in the city’s buzzing plazas. Street vendors sell chocolates and frozen fruit, while shopkeepers stock shelves amid the afternoon rush. A new level of tension is rumbling beneath this well-known routine.
The capital’s residents are divided by hope, scepticism, and a ferocious instinct to defend their country as a result of US military deployments near the Venezuelan coast and rhetoric rising between Washington and Caracas.
For some, the presence of foreign ships offshore represents a long-awaited answer to prayer. It offends a sovereign nation in the eyes of others, which is considered imperial.
David Oropeza, a 52-year-old farmer and trader who sells frozen strawberries and blackberries he himself sells, declares, “The homeland is the homeland, and my army is my army.” Despite a health condition that requires treatment three times a week, he says he would be willing to fight if the US attacked.
I would be “knee-deep in the dirt” with those people. As he waits for a bus in downtown Caracas and looks at the horizon, Oropeza says, “I would face]the invaders] with them [the Venezuelan army].” “I would help however I could”.
A “positive change” is what.
More than 80 people have been killed by US airstrikes in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean since September. In the latest attack on Thursday, four people were killed. The administration of US President Donald Trump has not provided any proof to back up its claim that the targeted boats had smuggled narcotics or smugglers and that they were headed for the US. Additionally, it has not provided a legal justification for the operations, which many experts believe violate international law.
Meanwhile, Trump has also said that the US is preparing to attack alleged drug traffickers “on land”, suggesting that a direct military operation against Venezuela might be imminent.
In the biggest display of force in the region in a long time, Trump has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, to the Caribbean along with thousands of soldiers and F-35 military jets.
This US pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is beneficial for the nation for some residents.
Carolina Tovar, 60, sits on a bench in one of the city’s busiest squares. She claims that “Venezuela will be free” under US pressure and is a vendor selling chocolates and sweets.
She claims that “the day will come when we get our freedom.” “I think Maduro already feels a lot of pressure”.
Her remarks reflect Venezuela’s widespread frustrations and desperation. In January, Maduro was sworn in for a third term, after nearly 12 years in office, which was marked by deep economic and social crisis and repeated US pressure to unseat his government.
He was declared the winner of July’s election by Venezuela’s electoral authority and top court, though detailed tallies confirming his victory were never released.
The opposition claims that Edmundo Gonzalez’s record-keeping indicates that their candidate won the election by a wide margin, which has led to the recognition of him as president-elect by the US and several other governments. The election has also been questioned by independent observers.
However, according to polls, Tovar is in the minority in the nation. The majority of Venezuelans are much more concerned with daily living, low wages, and inflation than with geopolitics, and they oppose US pressure or an invasion of their nation.
According to a poll by Caracas-based firm Datanalisis last month, a majority of Venezuelans continue to oppose economic sanctions on the country. Only 21% of respondents to the poll said they disagree with sectoral, financial, or oil sanctions, compared to 55% of respondents.
55% of Venezuelans were against a foreign military attack, while 23% said they would back it.
The reasons most cited by those who oppose an attack are civilian deaths, risk of civil war, chaos and prolonged economic deterioration. Supporters of a Venezuelan foreign push for change said they think it will promote peace, promote democracy, and spur economic growth.
Most Venezuelans, according to the poll, do not support President Maduro or the opposition. Sixty percent described themselves as politically unaffiliated, compared with 13 percent supporting the government and 19 percent backing the opposition.
Because some Venezuelans are not permitted to speak to the media, a government official with a degree in international affairs tells Al Jazeera, “I understand that some Venezuelans believe this kind of pressure from the US could lead to political change and improve the situation.”
According to the official, “from my point of view, external interference never works in any country.” “We’ve seen that in Panama, we’ve seen it in Syria, Libya – and in many countries in the Middle East”.
A new Datanálisis poll conducted between November 14 and November 19, 2025, found that 55% of Venezuelans oppose foreign military intervention and 23% of Venezuelans oppose it. twitter.com/SUV3wYMczv
The phrase “the homeland is the homeland” is used.
Oropeza is cynical about Trump and his intentions, and about Venezuela and its elites, just a few blocks away from Tovar. But he is clear that war isn’t the answer to any of those problems.
Nobody wants war, they say. Oropeza claims that there must be peace. He then reflects and refers to those whom he believes do want war.
He contends that US politics “moves a lot with its weapons,” and that money is used to support whoever wins the presidency, noting that Venezuela’s troop mobilization is likely to benefit the local elite as well. Who is becoming wealthy? Them, and those we don’t know”.
Oropeza claims to not be a fan of the current president and that he was a former supporter of the late President Hugo Chavez – Maduro’s mentor and predecessor.
He still takes a harsh stance on his claim to sovereignty. His scepticism of the government does not translate into support for foreign attacks on his country.
Maduro has recently used his own show of force to quell rising tensions. Troops and militia members have been mobilised, and soldiers have tested anti-air systems along the Caribbean coast.
By November, the government had expanded its military and civilian mobilization plans for any potential US action.
Scepticism and resources
Some younger people think Venezuela’s interest in the US has to do with the country’s abundance of natural resources.
As he hangs out with his friends, 24-year-old supermarket stocker Diego Mejia says, “I think we are screwed.”
He doubts an invasion is imminent. They would have already arrived if the United States had desired to visit. But he is clear about the goals the US has. “Venezuela is a country with too many resources”, he notes, citing oil and uranium. They are drawn to Venezuela because of its resources, they say.
Venezuela’s energy sector is a pillar of the world’s strategic interest because it has the largest proven oil reserves, more than five times that of the US, and significant natural gas fields.
Beyond hydrocarbons, Venezuela is also rich in gold, diamonds, bauxite, iron ore and rare minerals such as coltan – materials essential for electronics, aerospace technologies and modern manufacturing.
However, Mejia leans on faith in order to deal with the concern over a potential military conflict with the world’s largest superpower, like many others. He claims, “I have my faith that God will not allow anything to happen here.”
The fact that the streets aren’t empty, and people have not started hoarding food, suggests that many share the view that an attack isn’t imminent.
Venezuela’s fear of the unknown
Others aren’t so sure.
The situation evokes a complex combination of maternal fear and hope for Dalibeth Brea, a 34-year-old homemaker who observes her child play in a park. Even within her social circle, a friend of hers refused to be interviewed because she was concerned about consequences for her government job.
Brea says she hopes the pressure might catalyse modernisation. It appears hopeful because it might contribute something to the nation, according to the author. I want to come here because of some developments that we see outside of our borders,” she says.
However, the prospect of violence terrifies her. Brea has a hiding instinct, in contrast to Oropeza’s willingness to fight.
She admits, “I would protect myself from fear.” Her contingency plan is simple: “Food at home, and keep all my family in one place”.
Brea echoes the uncertainty felt by millions as the sun sets over a city that is in the grip of geopolitics.
She pauses, “I don’t know if something will happen.” “Something tells me yes, but something tells me no”.
(Elizabeth Melimopoulos provided reporting on this article from Canada)
Source: Aljazeera
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