Hoarding, blackout

Caracas: “Jets circled over the city for an hour”

Passers-by near the Venezuelan Ministry of Defense(Bild: EPA/MIGUEL GUTIERREZ)

Venezuela has been in a state of emergency since the early hours of Saturday morning. The "Krone" reaches entrepreneur V. E. in Caracas. He wishes to remain anonymous for his own safety. He describes the beginning of the attacks: fighter jets over the city, power and internet outages, panic buying and great uncertainty. The fear is less directed towards the outside world than towards his own regime.

Entrepreneur V. E. was in Caracas at the time of the attack. "I'm at home," he says in a telephone interview via WhatsApp. The internet in the capital is now up and running again. But nothing else is the same as it was when he went to bed on Friday night.

The start of events surprised him in his sleep. "I was asleep when it all started," reports V. He was at his parents' house for the holidays. "My mother woke us up and said: the country is under attack." He gives the time as around three o'clock in the morning. Immediately afterwards, the family watched the news. "From that moment on, we sat in front of the TV and switched between CNN, BBC and a Colombian channel."

I don't live near any military installations, so I didn't hear the impacts.

Unternehmer zur „Krone“

Planes over the city
V. himself did not hear any explosions. "I didn't hear any bombing," he says. But: "We heard the planes." Fighter jets circled over the city for at least an hour. "I don't live near any military facilities, so I didn't hear the impacts." Friends of his who live closer to military zones got in touch early. "They called and confirmed that what was circulating on social media was true."

There were several explosions in Caracas.(Bild: AFP/STR)

People fled to safety.(Bild: AP/Matias Delacroix)

In the USA, some people gathered in front of the White House to protest against the attack on Venezuela.(Bild: AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Situation in the city
In the morning, V. describes the situation as calm but tense. "It's pretty calm at the moment." At the same time, he reports a high police presence. Civilians are trying to get supplies. "Many people are buying food and medicine." Supermarkets and pharmacies are very busy.

Passers-by near the Venezuelan Ministry of Defense(Bild: EPA/MIGUEL GUTIERREZ)

Delayed communication from the government
V. is critical of the government's response. "We heard nothing official in the early hours of the morning." It was only later that a video from the Ministry of Defense was broadcast. It stated that Venezuela was under attack from the USA. But by then Donald Trump had already posted that Nicolás Maduro had been removed from office. "This news came about 15 to 20 minutes beforehand." According to V., there was only one more word from the official side. "They demanded proof that Nicolás Maduro is still alive." There was no further information. "We are in the dark from the official side."

Smoke at the airport in Caracas(Bild: AP/Matias Delacroix)

Passers-by in Venezuela(Bild: AP/Cristian Hernandez)

Power and internet outages
The first few hours in particular were characterized by great uncertainty. There were blackouts in several parts of the city. The internet was also severely restricted, especially in the first few hours. The businessman emphasizes that the population's concerns are not coming from outside. "We are not afraid of the USA or the US military." The fear is directed at their own regime. "We fear what the government could do to those who are openly happy about the developments." On social networks, V. observes predominantly approval. "There are countless messages and calls." In his estimation, only a minority support the government. "Maybe around ten percent. The majority see it as a positive development."

We fear what the government could do to those who are openly happy about the developments.

V.E. will daher auch anonym bleiben.

Military movements
V. and his family remain in the apartment for the time being. However, friends report military movements. "They see troops and security forces from their homes." There are marches in several districts and large cities.

Shopping before the currency loses even more value
At the same time, the economic situation is worsening. V. refers to hyperinflation and the black market. "The exchange rate has risen within a few hours." This increases the pressure on the population. "People are buying quickly before their money loses further value." His assessment: "Anyone who only has bolívares now will have lost around half of their money in just a few hours."

Who will take power?
From V.'s point of view, it remains to be seen what will happen politically. "It's getting tricky now." Many second-tier regime figures are still at large. "Many fear that some will now take power in Maduro's absence." V. believes internal power struggles are possible. "Perhaps there will be clashes within the military." A direct conflict with the USA seems less likely to him. He refers to statements from the opposition. "María Corina Machado has stated that she has support from the police and military to initiate a transition. That is our hope."

"Nobody wants their country to be attacked"
V. is aware that military interventions are controversial. "Nobody wants their own country to be attacked." In his view, the intervention was nevertheless necessary. "We needed this help." And he adds: "It is sad that an attack was necessary to get support." However, many Venezuelans were prepared to pay this price - "provided that no civilians were injured and only military targets were hit. We are unsure what will happen. But we see this development as a necessary step."