Carnival Celebrations Featuring Trump and Maduro Captivate Audiences

This year’s Carnival festivities have turned into a stage for President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s ousted leader Nicolás Maduro, albeit in an unexpected manner.

Carnival is an annual tradition across Hispanic countries, marking a vibrant, four-day celebration filled with parades and merriment tied to the Catholic calendar. This lively event kicks off on the Friday before Ash Wednesday and wraps up on the Tuesday prior to the Catholic observance. While Brazil is known for hosting the largest and most dazzling Carnival, with this year’s celebrations in Rio de Janeiro taking place from February 16 to February 21, other locations are also getting creative.

The January 3 arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by U.S. authorities in Caracas has emerged as a central theme in many Carnival celebrations throughout Latin America this year.

In the Spanish town of Almeria, celebrations included a choreographed act that humorously re-enacted Maduro’s arrest by U.S. forces, as reported recently.

A viral video showcased participants dancing to the song “Donde Estan?” (“Where are the communists?”), which has gained traction on social media. This song, by Venezuelan influencer Miguel “Kilometro” Herrera, questions why countries like China and Russia haven’t stepped in to aid Maduro. The performance happened at a gala recently held at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

At the Almeria parade, some performers wore costumes from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), while others donned military attire reminiscent of the Venezuelan armed forces.

Similar spectacles unfolded in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Avila, with participants dressing as American law enforcement agents interacting humorously with those portrayed as Maduro and his associates. Notably, a person in a Trump mask celebrated the mock arrest of Maduro.

In Barranquilla, Colombia, Carnival revelers donned costumes resembling Trump, Maduro, and figures tied to the Venezuelan regime, including anti-socialist opposition leader Maria Colina Machado. Some participants were even dressed as FBI agents or members of specialized units.

One participant dressed as Delcy Rodriguez humorously quipped, “I wasn’t a snitch. I swear. But Trump is my new best friend,” during the parade.

As reported by a Colombian news outlet, Venezuelans cautiously celebrated Maduro’s downfall on Carnival Day, holding impromptu gatherings while being mindful of the regime’s existing emergency decree against public celebrations of his arrest.

In a different part of the continent, President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on gangs in El Salvador was highlighted at a Carnival in Seredi, Peru. The local festivities included portrayals of Bukele with people mimicking incarcerated gang members adorned with fake tattoos.

In follow-up comments, Bukele referenced a survey in Peru indicating that a majority of respondents preferred a leader like him, even as Peru faces political turmoil with its presidential office currently vacant following the impeachment of President Jose Gerri.