On Monday, President Trump posted a concerning video showing civilians in Caracas training with a large assault rifle during a militia event. This follows a recent vote indicating that many Venezuelans back Trump’s efforts against dictator Nicolas Maduro.
“Top Secret: We caught a Venezuelan militia in training. A very serious threat!” Trump shared on the Society of Truth, adding that the video, reportedly displaying the training, is included in the post.
It’s a bit hard to tell if the president was being sarcastic or genuinely alarmed by the sight of armed civilians in training. The footage features some chaotic moments with loud screams, and one notable clip focuses on an overweight woman handling an AK-style rifle.
On Saturday, thousands of citizens were brought together in Caracas for a day dedicated to learning about arms handling and other so-called “innovative resistance” techniques, coinciding with Trump’s naval deployment near Venezuela’s coast.
In another video, Venezuelan civilians could be seen receiving instructions from uniformed military personnel, who urged them to handle weapons and “attempt for Trump.”
The ship associated with this operation was deployed about a month ago and is now accompanied by F-35 fighter jets from Puerto Rico. Their mission targets Venezuela’s drug trafficking, and recent Navy operations reportedly took out 14 narcoterrorists in strikes against drug boats since early September.
Maduro has accused Trump of trying to instigate a government change through military pressure, a claim U.S. leaders have denied.
The United States does not recognize Maduro as a legitimate leader and offered a $50 million bounty this summer regarding his ongoing drug charges in New York.
Many Venezuelans feel that Maduro’s recent election in July 2024 was illegitimate, following concerns about the previous two elections being stolen.
A survey by Pantera indicated that 70% of Venezuelans, even those who are not entirely opposed to Maduro’s government, experienced a mix of hope and fear regarding political repression. Significantly, over half expect Maduro to face a loss of electricity in the next six months, with 36% believing he might leave power within three months.
This survey, conducted from August 21 to 31 with 1,200 participants in Venezuela, indicated that among Maduro supporters, only 6% possess a positive opinion of the U.S., while a mere 4% have a favorable view of Trump.
Conversely, those who oppose Maduro show much higher support for America, with 55% and 44% respectively having a favorable view of the U.S. and Trump.
Furthermore, around 80% of Venezuelans who do not support Maduro stated that family members who migrated to the U.S. might consider returning if there’s a change in government.
“If the U.S. supports a government transition,” Pantera noted, “then I believe Venezuelans abroad will come back, and a democratic Venezuela would form a strong alliance with the United States in Latin America.”
