Gunfire and explosions were reported near the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on Monday evening (5 January).
The incident came hours after Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president following the capture of Nicolás Maduro during a U.S. military operation.
Local media said the incident occurred at about 20:00 local time after reports of unidentified drones circling the palace.
Some outlets suggested the gunfire may have been a response to the drones, although this has not been confirmed by Venezuelan authorities.
Videos shared on social media, believed to have been filmed near the scene, show armed men carrying heavy weapons and military convoys deployed around the Miraflores Palace.
The footage also appears to show security forces patrolling surrounding streets as residents sought shelter.
The videos have not been independently verified.
The United States is reportedly monitoring the situation closely but is not involved in the incident, according to U.S. officials cited by NBC News.
Venezuelan authorities have not issued an official statement on the incident, and there are no confirmed reports of injuries or fatalities. Residents described fear and confusion in central Caracas as gunfire and explosions were heard.
Power outages and armed movements were also reported in several districts, reflecting heightened tension across the capital.
In the days since President Nicolás Maduro was captured during a U.S. military operation on 3 January, his supporters have staged protests in Caracas demanding his release, according to Agence France-Presse.
Around 2,000 Maduro supporters demonstrated on Sunday, 4 January, in Venezuela’s capital, carrying signs and flags and calling for the U.S. to free their leader and his wife.
Featured slogans included “Free our president” and “Venezuela is no‑one’s colony.”
However, while the protests reported by AFP are confirmed, some social media videos claiming massive pro-Maduro rallies have been debunked.
Fact-checkers said widely shared clips presented as evidence of large-scale demonstrations were filmed before the military operation, including footage from July 2024 and November 2025.
By contrast, Venezuelans overseas have shown more visible reactions to Maduro’s capture.
In diaspora communities, particularly in cities such as Miami and Santiago, crowds were seen celebrating, waving Venezuelan flags and chanting calls for "liberty".
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A U.S. federal judge raised concerns on Thursday about whether sanctions preventing Venezuela from funding the legal defense of Nicolás Maduro could violate his constitutional rights, though he did not dismiss the drug-trafficking charges against the former leader.
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The United States and interim authorities in Venezuela have agreed to re-establish diplomatic and consular relations, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday (5 February), aiming to foster a peaceful transition to elect a new government in the South American country.
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An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging some buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said.
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