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- author, Nicole Colster
- scroll, From Caracas to BBC News Mundo
While the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro lives in a state of suspense due to United States President Donald Trump’s threat to carry out military actions in Venezuela, many Venezuelan citizens continue with their lives trying to solve basic challenges like putting food on their plates.
It’s Wednesday morning in the famous Quinta Crespo market, in the center of Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. There, the potential escalation of the conflict does not seem to bother the majority.
“There will be no intervention, nothing like that. What has hurt us is the rise in the value of the dollar,” Alejandro Orellano, who drinks coffee while waiting for customers who have not arrived, told BBC News Mundo, the BBC’s Spanish-language service.
Since September, the Trump administration has concentrated military forces and resources just a few kilometers from Venezuela. The device includes more than 15,000 military personnel and the largest aircraft carrier in the world, the USS Gerald R. Ford.
As of Monday morning (11/24), at least seven international airlines have canceled their outbound and inbound flights to Venezuela after a warning from the US Aviation Authority regarding the dangers of flying over the country’s airspace.
The United States has been launching air strikes against suspected “drug boats” in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific for weeks. At least 83 people were killed in the attacks.
The US government accuses the targeted people of drug smuggling, but has not provided any evidence so far. Some analysts believe the attacks are part of a plan to force Maduro to step down.
The Venezuelan government is considered illegitimate by the United States and many Latin American countries following the controversial 2024 presidential elections, which were widely criticized by the international community. Brazil did not recognize Maduro’s victory.
Alejandro Orellano, who has been selling vegetables in this market for five years, downplays the threats exchanged between the US and Venezuelan governments.
“Look, look how empty it is,” he insists, pointing to a long, empty aisle filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.
credit, Nicole Colster/BBC World
The common enemy among attendees seems to be the sudden rise in food prices and the limited ability to purchase them.
For example, a kilo of chicken costs about four times the official monthly minimum wage. Even with the bonuses the government pays to retirees and public employees, the money does not cover the basic food basket.
The other reality is that since the anti-government protests that occurred after the disputed 2024 presidential elections, a large part of Venezuelan society has been avoiding speaking out about issues that might be sensitive to the Maduro government.
During and after the demonstrations, more than 2,000 people were arrested, according to official data.
credit, Nicole Colster/BBC World
Currently, 884 people remain in prison for political reasons, according to the NGO Foro Penal.
There were reports of people being arrested after making statements to the press complaining about the government or questioning the election results.
United Nations experts denounced gross human rights violations in the context of those elections and the protests that took place in the following days.
They reported being subjected to political persecution, excessive use of force, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial executions by state security forces and allied civilian groups.
Is this correct? Is it a lie?
Regarding possible US action in the country, Consuelo, 74, expressed doubts and hesitation.
He told BBC Mundo: “Whatever should happen happens… and that’s it!”
“Is this true? Is it a lie? This is making us sick, living on the edge… It is better to stay calm. Emotions can also affect health,” says the retired university professor who is still working.
“I don’t go out and buy on impulse. To do that, we need a lot of money.”
credit, Nicole Colster/BBC World
“We are all waiting for something to happen, because it is just and necessary,” said Barbara Marrero, a 40-year-old pastry chef. “These have been years of absolute misery.”
“Venezuelans live day after day waiting for something to happen, but everyone is afraid (to speak up), and no one says anything.”
A shop owner from Ciudad Bolivar, in the east of the country, told BBC Mundo by phone: “We are afraid, silent, afraid of being arrested. I used to always post things, but now I don’t, I shouldn’t, because I don’t know who can report me.”
The woman, who refused to reveal her identity, said: “There is hope and faith, but people are silent because of fear. No one talks about it; it is just at home, with their loved ones… but there is an atmosphere of joy.”
credit, Nicole Colster/BBC World
Everything is business as usual on a busy street in eastern Caracas. Hawkers call customers, pedestrians come and go…
There’s Javier Jaramillo, 57, who’s looking for merchandise to resell for Christmas. He is eagerly awaiting the aircraft carrier sent by the United States to the Caribbean.
He added, “I do not think this attack will happen. I think it is possible for there to be dialogue, agreement and settlement.”
However, he said that when there is a power outage, he thinks: “They’re already in,” and “They’re going to get in.”
However, Jaramillo insists: “What worries me most is the food… I don’t think there will be an attack.”
He added, “Venezuela is in a very bad situation… Inflation is consuming us. There is no money here equal to the dollar or the euro.”
“I am a Venezuelan in need… and what we want is for an agreement to be reached.”
credit, Nicole Colster/BBC World
“No one sleeps!”
“Stay alert, with your eyes open. Don’t let anyone sleep!”, Maduro asked residents on Thursday evening (11/20).
The government official continued: “We have to defend the CIA’s oil facilities. They gave them money and ordered them to harm the Venezuelan economy.”
Maduro repeatedly congratulates himself on the management of the Venezuelan economy, noting that the country is under siege by the United States of America, between sanctions and military deployment in the Caribbean.
Two economists living in Venezuela, who were consulted by the BBC team for this report, chose not to comment for fear of government retaliation.
“Inflation has reached levels of around 20% per month in recent months,” said another expert who requested anonymity.
The International Monetary Fund expects prices to rise by 548% this year, and states that the situation will be worse in 2026, when inflation may reach 629%, the highest on the continent.
Maduro, in turn, confirmed that the country’s GDP will grow by 9%.
credit, Reuters
“Many innocent people could die”
Esther Guevara (53 years old), who works in a medical laboratory, is one of the few who does not hide her concern about the tensions resulting from the deployment of the American naval fleet.
“I’m apprehensive because I don’t really know what’s going on, whether they’re going to invade or extract… People think it’s too easy, too quiet, and it’s dangerous. A lot of innocent people could die.”
“I feel like something is being prepared there, but I am waiting,” he said.
credit, Nicole Colster/BBC World
“Trump has to come to his senses,” Francisco Ojeda, 69, a resident of Petare, a poor neighborhood in Caracas, and a member of the Venezuelan government militia, said in a conversation with BBC News Mundo.
Ojeda participated in the military conscription called for by Maduro and handled military weapons, although without ammunition.
He added, “Here, no one will stand still in the face of the invasion.”
“If they come, they will come, and if they don’t come, that’s okay. But we want calm and harmony for everyone.”
He added: “We are calm… Here everyone dances, goes to the beach, works, and everything is normal.”