CARACAS, Venezuela: A little over a day after U.S. forces stormed the capital and whisked President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the capital, Venezuelans were waiting anxiously to see what came next.

Stores, restaurants, and churches remained closed, and people on the streets looked shell-shocked, staring at their phones or into the distance.

"People are still shaken," said 77-year-old David Leal, who arrived to work as a parking attendant but realized he likely would not have customers. He pointed to the deserted street, a few blocks from Venezuela's presidential palace, which armed civilians and military personnel guarded.

Venezuela has seen political turmoil before, but the U.S. military operation carried out early on January 3 marked an unprecedented moment.

U.S. President Donald Trump initially said the United States would "run" the country until stability was restored. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to soften that position on January 4.

In interviews, Rubio said Washington planned to use control over Venezuela's oil industry to pressure policy changes and described the current government as illegitimate. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven crude oil reserves.

Rubio said the United States wanted Venezuela to undergo a complete transition but acknowledged that such a change would not happen quickly.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, standing alongside senior military leaders, told citizens that Nicolás Maduro remained the legitimate president. At the same time, the country's top court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to take over presidential duties as interim leader.

Maduro's allies demanded his release from U.S. custody in New York, where he made his first court appearance. State-run media did not broadcast images of him in handcuffs, but those images were circulated widely on social media, leaving many Venezuelans stunned.

Nely Gutiérrez, a retired woman who spoke tearfully, said she was deeply saddened by what she was witnessing. She described Maduro as a human being and said she feared for his life in U.S. custody. She said she had gone to church to pray for peace and for Maduro, though she did not say whether she had ever voted for him.

Outside Venezuela and in some Latin American countries, Maduro's removal was welcomed. Inside the country, reactions were mixed. Some supporters burned U.S. flags and held signs calling for Americans to leave. Others avoided public celebration. Construction worker Daniel Medalla said people were afraid to show joy because of possible government reprisals, even though many had long hoped for Maduro's departure.

Memories of past repression remain strong. After the disputed 2024 presidential election, which Maduro claimed to have won despite evidence suggesting otherwise, protests were violently suppressed. Official figures said 28 people were killed, 220 were injured, and at least 2,000 were detained.

A day after the raid, police and military presence in Caracas appeared lighter than usual. Soldiers worked to clear parts of an air base that had burned, along with at least three passenger buses, during the U.S. attack. Rubio said no U.S. troops were on the ground but did not rule out additional strikes.

Officials said civilians and military personnel were killed in the operation, but no official death toll has been released. With visible injuries and his home badly damaged, Wilman González said all that remained were ruins. Latest reports suggested that 80 people, including many elderly civilians, were killed.

He expressed anger not only over his personal loss but also over years of economic hardship and political failure. He said the government no longer served the people and added that what Venezuelans wanted was a government that worked for everyone, not just a select few.