Claim:
A video shared on social media in January 2026 showed Venezuelans celebrating the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and thanking US President Donald Trump.
Rating:
Rating: Fake
In January 2026, the US military invaded the capital of Venezuela and captured the country’s president. Nicolás Maduro, under orders from President Donald Trump. People on social media immediately claimed photos and videos of people reacting to the attack in Venezuela.
a video Posted in X (archived) and four separate clips of Venezuelans who have been viewed millions of times appeared in the streets as crowds of people celebrated the U.S. capture of Maduro and thanked Trump for ordering it. The video was also widely shared on other social networking sites, viz Facebook (archived). Screenshots of four clips from the video were popular Facebook (archived) and Threads (archived).
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1401307918073213/?__cft__[0]=AZbjHQ-TRBecog7KZhM5ag5ljNzpzg9dQrktd-fMUNqs2Fe_uJQcjZuZrM9cfyQpcip9U7W5IrhTuzRbdA_ILPIk17whaP581aMqlEkAxCNEyitb6 q-dxetkQ0IxK_AEcs3rbpqhW7iPWvPYpzl8ws7-Q2ZRLucwhvhysOuAKVxTGERJfScjWkND2M86zxPjUDSkZ6q530kRCsmgMSM09&__tnCP__=%-2
The video clips do not show real Venezuelans reacting to Maduro’s takeover. They were created using artificial intelligence tools. For this reason, we have rated this claim as false.
All four clips had hints that they were AI-generated. One detail we highlight many times is the Venezuelan flag, which has three horizontal bars of yellow, blue and red from top to bottom and eight white stars in a crescent in the center of the blue bar. AI-generated videos and images often contain errors in the background, especially in small details like the stars on the flag.
For example, in the first clip showing an elderly woman holding a Venezuelan flag, two men in the background are wearing shirts depicting the Venezuelan flag. However, both shirts lack the red stripe below the flag and the women’s shirt on the left only has six stars. Another unusual aspect of the video clip is how it repeatedly zooms in and out, something that would be impossible for humans to do when keeping a single person in focus.
At the end of the second clip, over the subject’s shoulder on the left side of the frame, a car appears with an illegal white license plate, possibly five or six characters separated by spaces. At the time of Maduro’s takeover, the only license plates legally issued for private vehicles in the country were white, yellow, blue and red, from top to bottom, with seven undivided characters.
In the third clip, the Venezuelan flag with seven stars instead of eight is also seen over the subject’s shoulder on the left side of the frame.
Finally, in the fourth clip, a Venezuelan flag with several stars appears to the left of the woman’s head. Snopes X can count more than a dozen that appear in the 55-second video. The stars appear to be arranged in rows similar to the American flag, rather than the crescent shape used in the Venezuelan flag.
The subjects of the video were generally a bit nervous in their movements, while the majority of the crowd seemed to be stuck in a stiff, repetitive motion. – Both of them are characteristics of the AI generation.
Venezuelans reportedly had mixed reactions to the US capture of Maduro. According to BBC and CNN reports, some Venezuelans were grateful to the US for removing Maduro from power, while others took to the streets to protest Maduro’s takeover.
A few weeks ago, Venezuela’s legislature, dominated by Maduro loyalists, passed a law declaring anyone who speaks positively about the country’s US embargo a traitor. While Maduro’s allies remained in power shortly after the U.S. crackdown, some of those happy about the end of Maduro’s rule were not comfortable expressing it publicly. Some of those grateful for Maduro’s ouster also told the BBC they were worried about the country’s uncertain future or aware of the extent of US involvement in the country.
Some Venezuelans who spoke to English-language news reporters, including those with NPR, said neighborhood streets were quiet or deserted shortly after Maduro’s takeover because of fear, uncertainty and a tense atmosphere.
Many Venezuelans living abroad, often people or families who fled the country during the rule of Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez, have openly celebrated Maduro’s ouster. People took to the streets to celebrate the news in Doral, Florida, home to the largest concentration of Venezuelans in the United States.
Snopes continues to fact-check claims related to Maduro’s US capture, including whether US House Minority Leader Boss Jeffries tried to contact the ousted president Before his capture.
Sources:
Davies, David Martin. “Venezuelan React to Maduro and Future US Occupation of Their Country.” NPR5 January 2026, www.npr.org/2026/01/05/nx-s1-5666328/venezuelans-react-to-us-capture-of-maduro-and-the-future-of-their-country. Accessed 5 January 2026.
Goodwin, Grace Eliza. “Venezuelan react to US Maduro arrest with hope and uncertainty.” BBC4 Jan. 2026, www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86vq753nwpo. Accessed 5 January 2026.
“Vehicle Identification Plates Required for Driving in National Territory – National Institute of Land Transport (INTT).” Intt.gob.ve25 Apr. 2024, www.intt.gob.ve/inttweb/?p=13918. Accessed 5 January 2026.
“License Plates of Venezuela.” Worldlicenseplates.comwww.worldlicenseplates.com/world/SA_VENE.html. Accessed 5 January 2026.
Lily, Sandra, etc. “Tears, relief and questions about what comes next: Venezuelans in US celebrate Maduro capture.” NBC News3 Jan. 2026, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/venezuelans-in-us-react-maduro-ouster-trump-rcna252052. Accessed 5 January 2026.
Makaya, Melissa. “January 4, 2026 – Maduro Awaits Court Appearance.” CNN4 Jan. 2026, www.cnn.com/world/live-news/venezuela-trump-maduro-01-04-26. Accessed 5 January 2026.
“Rubio says US not at war with Venezuela, Maduro to appear in New York court on Monday”. BBC Newswww.bbc.com/news/live/c5yqygxe41pt?post=asset:1c86abcb-cdc7-4ae2-8412-7cebe1230fdd#post. Accessed 5 January 2026.
Smith, Whitney. “Flag of Venezuela.” Encyclopaedia Britannica2019, www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Venezuela. Accessed 5 January 2026.
TRTWorld. “Venezuelan protest in Caracas after US bombing and capture of Maduro.” www.youtube.com5 January 2026, www.youtube.com/shorts/ou_m-4_6_J8. Accessed 5 January 2026.
