Venezuelans in Manitoba quietly celebrate capture of Maduro as others question legitimacy of U.S. intervention

Some Venezuelans living in Winnipeg say the U.S. strikes and takeover President Donald Trump's announcement of President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday prompted a complex mix of emotions, from concern to hope for the future.

Cristina Rodriguez Bonito, who came to Canada in 2014, said she wanted to scream with joy when she learned about it early Saturday morning, but she didn't want to wake others.

“We were happy. We cried, we hugged,” she said, adding that her excitement was also tinged with skepticism. “All I can say is that I hope things move forward quickly and peacefully and we look forward to what's yet to come.”

“We are still praying that everything will go smoothly… we are happy but cautious,” she said.

Multiple explosions were heard and low-flying planes streaked over Caracas early Saturday after months of heightened pressure between the two countries that led to the US-capture of the Venezuelan president and his wife.

Trump said Washington will “run” the oil-rich South American country until there is a “proper transition” as Maduro faces accusations that he is running a “narco-state” and rigging Venezuela's 2024 elections.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada supports “the right of the Venezuelan people to decide and build their own future in a peaceful and democratic society.”

Carney called Maduro's regime “brutally repressive and criminal.” post on X on Saturdaysaying Canada views Maduro's leadership as “illegitimate” following the 2018 election.

“The Canadian government therefore welcomes the opportunity for freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity for the Venezuelan people,” he wrote, adding that Canada “calls on all parties to respect international law.”

A number of international leaders have shared mixed reactions to US interventionThe event is celebrated by some, including politicians in Argentina, Peru and Ecuador, while others condemn it, including in Brazil, Russia, Iran and China.

Jeanette Pantin Perez, a Venezuelan living in Winnipeg, questions Washington's “true intentions” behind its intervention in the oil-rich country, which she says operated under a “totally broken system.”

Trump mentioned oil several times during a press conference on Saturday. Speaking about his ambitions to rebuild Venezuela's infrastructure, which he called “old” and “rotten,” Trump said he would keep the oil flowing and sell it to several countries.

He said the wealth would “come back to the people” of Venezuela as well as the United States.

Pantin Perez watched the speech, hoping Trump would talk about restoring respect for human rights in Venezuela. She said she belongs to a generation that has seen the country's resources exploited by international businesses – sometimes to Venezuela's detriment.

“These are again the actions of a country that wants to take advantage of the resources of this country, and not necessarily the well-being of the people,” Pantin Perez said.

“It seems to me that these actions [are] setting a precedent for strong countries to ignore the principle of sovereignty and interfere in the affairs of weak countries,” she said.

Luis Antonio Rodriguez Bonito, Cristina's brother, said he knows Venezuela's oil resources may have played a role in the U.S. intervention, but he hopes it will bring positive change because he remembers life was better when U.S. companies had a larger stake in the sector.

“This is good for the Venezuelan people. [that] The states are taking control of oil. I know this for a fact because it has happened in the past,” he said. “We lived well.”

Luis Bonito fled Venezuela ten years ago. His immediate family is among the nearly eight million people who have fled the country since 2015. according to Global Relations Canada.

He said daily life in Venezuela was difficult due to limited access to stable food sources and fears for his family's safety due to crime and corruption.

The shadow of that fear still looms over his loved ones back home, but many are quietly celebrating, Cristina Bonito said.

“The situation is still unclear. So people are celebrating, but in silence at home,” she said, adding that she has been waiting for a similar intervention since then. Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999.

Both Luis and Cristina said they would like to see Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado come to power alongside Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who Canada was recognized as the country's legitimate president after the 2024 elections.

“We've been asking for this for many, many years. Now I hope that Venezuela will be free, there will be progress and everything will go smoothly,” said Cristina Bonito.

Pantin Perez said change is needed in Venezuela but questioned how the U.S. intervention ended over the weekend.

“I really want change in the country of my birth,” she said. “But I think these changes would be more beneficial if they happened on a solid, legal basis.”

“The legitimacy of the events that took place [on Saturday] very controversial,” she said.