22 hours ago

On the ground in Venezuela after Trump’s ‘operation’ – podcast

“I’m a bit of an insomniac. So at almost 2am, I was awake, actually, and the first explosion, I swear I thought it was an earthquake.”

For Anna (not her real name), a journalist based in Caracas, it took some time for the realisation to dawn on her that the US had attacked Venezuela’s capital. “But then when the explosions continued in the following 20 minutes, one after the other, something deep down told me, you know, it’s the Americans.”

Anna describes to Helen Pidd the atmosphere on the streets of Caracas and the nervousness that many continue to feel about the regime. She explains how the new political and economic dynamic is consistent with the lack of autonomy felt by many Venezuelans for years and offers a warning to the rest of the world about a future where more countries experience the loss of their democracy.

Tom Phillips, the Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, describes to Helen the apprehension and mixed feelings among Venezuelans crossing the border with Colombia. He outlines the mistrust and fragility within the new leadership, the disappointment of the opposition movement, and how considerations regarding the country’s oil reserves may have shaped the US’s political calculations. Finally the pair discuss the intense depth of the deprivation that still grips the country.

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