In Venezuela, a long and silent evening

“Sovereign is he who decides on the exception.”
(Carl Schmitt, Political Theology, 1922)

There have been no bombings in my town, Palo Negro, in Maracay, which is next to the country’s most important military air base,  though at around 11 a.m. today, Saturday, we heard and saw a couple of Sukhoi aircraft patrolling.

All day, there has been a long silence, extending through the afternoon and into the beginning of the long winter night of the Northern Hemisphere. It is an intertropical night; it does not get cold until about 5 a.m. Businesses have been closed, except for a long line of nervous shoppers in front of a Chinese-owned supermarket, where goods were sold through a fence to prevent looting or disorder. At around 5 p.m., a Mormon church held its service, and the parishioners walked through the streets, elegantly dressed, as is their custom.

We waited for Trump to speak, and he said what we expected. In his public remarks, President Donald Trump indicated that the United States intends to oversee Venezuela during what he described as a transition period, emphasizing order, security, and continuity rather than a formal declaration of war.

When asked about opposition leader María Corina Machado and whether he had been in contact with her, Trump dismissed the idea that she played a decisive role domestically and deferred explanation to Senator Marco Rubio. Rubio said he had spoken with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and that discussions focused on maintaining public order and preventing internal chaos.

Around 4 p.m., Vice President Rodríguez, acting as president, addressed the nation on state television. Behind her stood Diosdado Cabello, minister of the interior; Vladimir Padrino López, minister of defense; and other high-ranking military officers. Rodríguez reaffirmed that Nicolás Maduro remains Venezuela’s only legitimate president, reiterated a state of internal emergency, and called on the international community to support Venezuela’s sovereignty.

Internet communications were not fully cut off, although power outages were reported in several cities and in parts of Caracas.

Using a VPN, we were able to follow live international media coverage reporting that Nicolás Maduro had been detained and transferred to US custody following a lightning operation. According to those reports, the arrest occurred after his security detail abandoned its position.

As of this writing, there are no confirmed reports of civilian casualties from international humanitarian organizations. Accounts indicate that Maduro was apprehended within seconds of the operation’s initiation.

I have no verified reports of persecution against the Jewish community. In her address, Rodríguez framed the operation as a foreign assault on Venezuelan sovereignty and warned against what she characterized as imperial interference.

It is going to be a very long night. A second wave of military actions or targeted extractions cannot be ruled out, given Rodríguez’s public posture and her appeal for international backing.

What do Venezuelans want?

Peace and security. Tranquility and non-violence.

Some analysts interpret Trump’s messaging to Rodríguez and her inner circle as a warning to maintain internal order and avoid widespread civilian devastation – an interpretation offered by commentators rather than a direct quotation.

Trump also emphasized that future oil investment in Venezuela would come from private companies rather than US taxpayers, framing it as a return of national wealth to the Venezuelan people.

Will Chavista and Maduro supporters withstand this massive influx of capital? You tell me.

Is an orderly and peaceful transition possible? I think so, although it will not be easy.

What is clear is that Trump is asserting extraterritorial authority based on executive power. As Carl Schmitt argued nearly a century ago, in moments of exception, it is the sovereign who decides how law is interpreted – or suspended – when normal constraints no longer apply.

Tonight, we stay awake, remain in contact, protect one another, and stay at home.

Dawn will come, and we shall see.