Jan 3 (Reuters) - Venezuelan security forces patrolled largely empty streets at dawn in the capital, Caracas, on Saturday, hours after loud explosions woke residents to the news that U.S. commandos had bombed the country and captured President Nicolas Maduro.
Streets close to the Miraflores presidential palace were deserted except for checkpoints manned by uniformed gunmen, as residents expressed their shock at a U.S. military strike that left them guessing who was now in charge of the oil-rich nation.
Smoke streaked the sky, with a dark plume still billowing from the direction of the Port of La Guaira to the north, while another was visible near an air base in the capital.
Most residents stayed home, devouring the latest information on their phones, while some went to stock up on groceries in case they need to hunker down for a prolonged period.
For supporters of the opposition, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, excitement was also in the air.
"My sister, who is in the United States, woke me up with the news; she was crying. We cried together out of happiness," said Jairo Chacin, 39, a mechanic and workshop owner in oil hub Maracaibo, as he waited in a long line to stock up on groceries.
"I went out to check on my business because I was afraid of looting, but the street is deserted. I wanted to fill up my gas tank, but the service stations are already closed, so I took the opportunity to buy food because we don't know what’s coming. Honestly, I have a mix of fear and joy."
Soon after the capture of Maduro, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared on state TV standing on the street and wearing a helmet and flak jacket, urging Venezuelans not to cooperate with the "terrorist enemy".
The Venezuelan opposition said in a statement on X that it had no official comment on the events.
