This Friday, President Nicolás Maduro made an unusual exit from his office in Miraflores and walked down the street to join a pro-Chavez rally, where he declared to CNN that Venezuela and the United States should “unite for peace on the continent.” … He called on President Donald Trump for peace in the face of rising tensions over the deployment of U.S. forces in the Caribbean.
Hours earlier, North American Army Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear over the network, saying, “We are going to drive narco-terrorists out of the Western Hemisphere.” “This mission protects our homeland, drives narco-terrorists out of our hemisphere, and protects our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood, and we will protect it,” Hegseth wrote.
The rally in support of President Maduro was prepared in advance next to the government palace in central Caracas, and its platform alluded to the rejection of the U.S. naval fleet and the military preparations organized by Chávez’s government for a possible attack by marines.
Maduro appeared very relaxed when interviewed by CNN during the march. “No more eternal wars, no more unjust wars, no more Libya, no more Afghanistan, long live peace,” he declared. When asked if he had a message for Trump, he said: “My message is, ‘Yes, peace!'” Yes, peace! ” He then appealed to his supporters to resist what he saw as the threat of U.S. invasion, but there was no sign of concern on his face. This Tuesday, he signed a decree creating a comprehensive defense force, announcing the mobilization of 200,000 uniformed personnel consisting of army units, Bolivarian militias, civil servants and civilian sympathizers. “We will govern peacefully and be busy serving our people,” he added to the North American network.
The president doesn’t seem nervous in front of the camera, but instead is active and euphoric, directing war operations against what he calls America’s “empire” as if he were now the star of a real-life movie. We dance and sing karaoke on stage. Of course, he is accompanied everywhere by a large security ring with Cuban bodyguards who are often confused with extremists and supporters.
ABC asked Chavez supporters on the street if they would be willing to self-immolate for Maduro. Luzmila Gomez, 65, a housewife, said, “I can’t believe I have a rifle. I think it’s ridiculous. I support President Maduro, but I have doubts about sacrificing my life for him.” Nearby, Aracelis Saavedra, 50, pointed out, “I’m not a Chavismo. It seems to me an extremely ignorant and cruel act to sacrifice our lives for a ruler who leads us into a miserable situation.” Unfortunate. ”
Chavez leader taking a bath in a village in Caracas
Inflation and the dollar have also started to soar in Venezuela since the deployment of U.S. warships to the Caribbean began three months ago and was reinforced this week with the arrival of the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. The South American country experienced a 35,000% hyperinflation in 2016 and is currently on a similar path. Venezuelans fear reliving those days in a country with the highest inflation rate in the world.
Pedro Palma, director of EcoAnalytica, predicts that Venezuela’s annual inflation rate will exceed 400% this year. Monthly trends range from 20% to 30%, but the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) estimates the inflation rate at 275%. Everyone agrees that inflation will be in the triple digits. Between more than 250% and up to 400%.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), “Venezuela will end with an inflation rate of 269.9% in 2025 and 682.1% in 2026, devastating numbers,” the agency’s report said.
For opposition politician Andrés Velázquez, this 2025 inflation forecast should not only cause alarm but also “deep fear.”
panic at the supermarket
Analysts fear that President Maduro’s military deployment and anti-Trump campaign are acting as a smokescreen to cover up inflation and distract from the economic crisis his administration is experiencing. Inflation is the main enemy.
At the entrance of a supermarket in Caracas, a customer who requested anonymity confessed to ABC: “I’m more scared of inflation than the Marine attack, because food prices go through the roof every day.”
Carmen Suarez, 40, feels panic every time she goes to the supermarket. “The prices are going up every day, and the products are marked in dollars and bolivars. You see, a liter of milk cost $2 a week ago, today it’s $2.80. My salary is not enough to survive. “I’m more afraid of inflation than a Marine,” he insists. I hope they come and end this hell.
A man sells oil, eggs and toilet paper on the street in front of Carcassia’s important market
The $100 remittance that a relative sent Carmen from Panama is no longer enough for her weekly shopping or to stock up on food in case of an attack.
The dollar has appreciated 330% so far in 2025. The North American currency is used in 60% of Venezuela’s economy, and its growth is due to a shortage of foreign currency.
Social networks are flooded with complaints. One user, Denny Alvarez, wrote: “We are experiencing an unofficial and silent hyperinflation, which officially resides in the pockets of Venezuelan civil society. They have no purchasing power and can barely buy a carton of eggs, no beef, fish or chicken, and in some cases a few grams of type B or C mortadella.
Despite President Maduro’s frenetic war efforts, there is silence, uncertainty and a Christmas spirit on the streets. People walk by the store, enter the store, ask for the price, and leave empty-handed. The store is full of products, but there are few customers. Everything is paralyzed and no one wants to invest until they see what happens with the Confederate Marines and their announced Southern Lance.
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