[Maru]

Some Venezuelans in Houston gather together and online to celebrate Maduro's capture
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...=nextdoor_news

For some in Houston's growing Venezuelan community — especially in Katy — news of the U.S. raid that captured President Nicolás Maduro early Saturday was an exciting surprise.

"You better believe Venezuelita (Katy, TX) is on party mode right now!" a Twitter user wrote on X Saturday.

The Houston area’s Venezuelan population more than tripled from 2012 to 2022, according to Census data, with much of that growth concentrated in and around Katy. From 2012 to 2022, the Venezuelan population in the four ZIP codes of the Katy area has grown by more than 400% to more than 15,000. With over 50,000 residents of Venezuelan descent in the Houston area, the community has grown into one of the most prominent Latino groups in the region.

Several gathered outside a market in Katy on Saturday, waving Venezuelan flags and dancing, celebrating the fall of the deeply unpopular president. Maduro, who was sworn in this year, has been criticized domestically for his handling of the nation's economy and authoritarian rule.

One of the celebrants was 50-year-old Luz Mora, who left her native Venezuela for Florida in 2001, when Hugo Chavez was president.

"This was one of those news (stories) that you were waiting for," Mora said, "Its the type of news that surprises you and that you're going to remember forever."

Mora, who made her way to Katy two years ago, said she remembers the day she received an arrest notice from the Venezuelan government in 2014. She actively showed opposition of Maduro on social media and was told she would be arrested if she returned to the country.

"It was tough to not feel afraid, even when you're outside of Venezuela," Mora said. "Because your family and friends are still there so you have to be careful."

Mora now hopes she can return to visit family, and that with Maduro captured and out of the country, more freedom and economic opportunities await Venezuelans.

In the U.S., President Trump has accused Maduro of stealing oil drilling operations from American companies, facilitating drug trafficking and backing deadly criminal gangs. Maduro was indicted in 2020 on U.S. charges of drug trafficking and terrorism.

In other parts of the U.S., Venezuelans celebrated the news of Maduro's capture. The Associated Press reported that many gathered outside a South American eatery in Florida on Saturday, wrapping themselves in Venezuelan flags and cheering. At one point, the crowd chanted “Liberty! Liberty! Liberty!”

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott echoed Trump's criticisms of Maduro in praising the action, saying "Texas and the world are better because of his capture."

Opposition

But the sudden military incursion has raised questions among lawmakers about the president's legal authority to carry out the strike without congressional approval.

"President Maduro’s authoritarian government was illegitimate and oppressive," said U.S. Rep Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, in a statement. "But President Trump’s statements today made clear that be believes he has the unilateral authority to depose foreign leaders and take over foreign countries. He does not."

Fletcher said that Congress never authorized strikes on Venezuela, and that the "multiple rationales the administration put forward to justify its actions raised more questions than they answered.

“The Trump administration must immediately and fully brief Congress and answer questions from the representatives of the American people," she added in her statement.

Some Houstonians are organizing a protest of Trump's action, calling for a rally Sunday afternoon near downtown's Post Houston. The organization hosting the protest called it a "war (that) is not about drug trafficking ... (but) about stealing Venezuela's oil and dominating Latin America."

Other protests are being held around the country as well.

[arista]

Now in the USA

NYC.

[arista]

[arista]

[arista]

[arista]

[arista]

[arista]

[arista]

[arista]

[arista]

The Online ONLY Paper

[arista]

Some are saying,
better to have Temp., President Trump
than a puppet leader?

[arista]

So far,
The Lady Vice President is running Venezuela

Delcy Rodriguez,


https://www.reuters.com/world/americ...ro-2026-01-03/

[arista]

[Some Venezuelans in Houston gather together
and online to celebrate Maduro's capture]


How nice for them
Maru

[arista]

The USA General
Used technology to turn off the Venezuela Lights
As the Armed Helicopters went in and out.

Ref: Sky News.

[arista]

Another Good Point
This will not be a Libya mess-up.

[Mystic Mock]

Regardless of what anyone thinks of Maduro, it's concerning that Trump believes that he has the god given right to go into another country and overthrow their leader.

Isn't that what most of us condemned Bush and Blair for, during the Iraq War?

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Merry Mockmas

Regardless of what anyone thinks of Maduro, it's concerning that Trump believes that he has the god given right to go into another country and overthrow their leader.

Isn't that what most of us condemned Bush and Blair for, during the Iraq War?

Yes indeed it is as to your last point.

I totally agree with your whole post there Mock.

Equally so, I agree with the points bots made too.

[Maru]

Originally Posted by Merry Mockmas

Regardless of what anyone thinks of Maduro, it's concerning that Trump believes that he has the god given right to go into another country and overthrow their leader.

Isn't that what most of us condemned Bush and Blair for, during the Iraq War?

No lol. Other than the war-is-always-bad folk, virtually no one had an issue with POTUS striking back specific to 9/11. Of course many also felt uneasy about the idea because direct war was still a distant prospect, and kinda still is really, but it was expected we would do something significant in response. Support for the military in general was quite high around that time before 9/11. 9/11 woke people up to threats from the outside and that made Americans more tolerant to things like the Patriot Act, the TSA checks, etc. There was more push back against this than outright major conflict from what I remember.

The sentiment was fairly strong that we didn't want to just be victims so retaliation was more or less expected. The war became unpopular when it turned to an occupation, when POTUS decided to make it into a personal campaign. Largely continuing the tasks where his father had faltered (Gulf War). If you look back to see who were critical voices and figures during the Gulf War, you'll see very familiar names in Bush Jr's cabinet. The propaganda became very apparent when they kept coming up with reasons for us to be there that had nothing to do with the original premise that gave them public consent in the first place. Hence "Weapons of Mass Destruction".

In summary, the American govt can do all the strikes and bombings it wants as long as they're not too frequent and it serves some purpose, but it has to be temporary. We don't bomb our friends and don't do anything prolonged. The tolerance for that is relatively high and that's been established over decades. Our military budget isn't massive for no reason and many seem to think that that is for good reason (subject to debate). Not that we can restrict the spending as voters.

Many Americans will support the toppling of Maduro for the reasons above, because we're not peacekeepers in the sense we will try to coax and ask others to play nice. We're peacekeepers in the FAFO sense where we promptly put an end to the problem as permanently as possible and then move on. (Depends on the problem and purpose)

Whatever we think of Trump, we never had to question the stability of our government during past conflicts. It was 100% clear who was in control, compared to now, where political chicanery are myriad and there's unelected outsiders coming out of the woodwork to place their thumb on the scale. Washington was more "locked down" back then also, especially federally, so there was less whispering and saber rattling about what we may or may not do. There's so much going on domestically, it's possible that people aren't as responsive to what happens to Venezuela (in the long-term).

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Yuki Maru Hoshi

No lol. Other than the war-is-always-bad folk, virtually no one had an issue with POTUS striking back specific to 9/11. Of course many also felt uneasy about the idea because direct war was still a distant prospect, and kinda still is really, but it was expected we would do something significant in response. Support for the military in general was quite high around that time before 9/11. 9/11 woke people up to threats from the outside and that made Americans more tolerant to things like the Patriot Act, the TSA checks, etc. There was more push back against this than outright major conflict from what I remember.

The sentiment was fairly strong that we didn't want to just be victims so retaliation was more or less expected. The war became unpopular when it turned to an occupation, when POTUS decided to make it into a personal campaign. Largely continuing the tasks where his father had faltered (Gulf War). If you look back to see who were critical voices and figures during the Gulf War, you'll see very familiar names in Bush Jr's cabinet. The propaganda became very apparent when they kept coming up with reasons for us to be there that had nothing to do with the original premise that gave them public consent in the first place. Hence "Weapons of Mass Destruction".

In summary, the American govt can do all the strikes and bombings it wants as long as they're not too frequent and it serves some purpose, but it has to be temporary. We don't bomb our friends and don't do anything prolonged. The tolerance for that is relatively high and that's been established over decades. Our military budget isn't massive for no reason and many seem to think that that is for good reason (subject to debate). Not that we can restrict the spending as voters.

Many Americans will support the toppling of Maduro for the reasons above, because we're not peacekeepers in the sense we will try to coax and ask others to play nice. We're peacekeepers in the FAFO sense where we promptly put an end to the problem as permanently as possible and then move on. (Depends on the problem and purpose)

Whatever we think of Trump, we never had to question the stability of our government during past conflicts. It was 100% clear who was in control, compared to now, where political chicanery are myriad and there's unelected outsiders coming out of the woodwork to place their thumb on the scale. Washington was more "locked down" back then also, especially federally, so there was less whispering and saber rattling about what we may or may not do. There's so much going on domestically, it's possible that people aren't as responsive to what happens to Venezuela (in the long-term).

I remember nearly everyone calling them both war criminals, and it severely damaged both in terms of public opinion.

Yet Trump doing the same thing is A-okay for some reason.

Edit.... The weapons of mass destruction stuff I remember being deathly unpopular with the public at the time.

[bots]

he isn't just over throwing the dictator, who admittedly isn't a nice guy. He is going to run their country and plunder their oil. If he thinks it will be that simple, i think he is in for a bit of a surprise

[arista]

Originally Posted by bots

he isn't just over throwing the dictator, who admittedly isn't a nice guy. He is going to run their country and plunder their oil. If he thinks it will be that simple, i think he is in for a bit of a surprise

Valid Points



This is Trump's Back Yard

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by arista

Valid Points



This is Trump's Back Yard

Yes the Monroe doctrine which is basically the view that the US has the right to manage whatever happens in the Americas and Europe is irrelevant - now reinvented as the Donroe doctrine

[Livia]

The BBC desperately trying to get Venezuelans to condemn Trump's action but they're all delighted lol...

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by bots

he isn't just over throwing the dictator, who admittedly isn't a nice guy. He is going to run their country and plunder their oil. If he thinks it will be that simple, i think he is in for a bit of a surprise

He'll probably get what he wants unfortunately.