BOISE, Idaho — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured and removed from power by US forces in Venezuela over the weekend. The operation has been met with celebrations and protests across the country — including a protest at Boise City Hall on Saturday.
I took to 8th street to hear from Idahoans about the situation in Venezuela.
"I am very happy that Donald Trump has taken Maduro out of Venezuela and we are very happy in the hearts of many Venezuelans and we are very grateful for that," said Deniffer Pimentel, from Zulia, Venezuela, using Google Translate.
"So the Venezuelan people are celebrating right now?" asked neighborhood reporter Brady Caskey.
"Yes, yes muy feliz — happy happy happy," said Pimentel.
WATCH | Hear from Idahoans and folks on 8th street about the situation in Venezuela
"Oh yeah, I totally get that people are celebrating but I worry more about what's going to be happening tomorrow and next week and next month and next year," said Joe Turmes, with Idaho 50501.
Turmes explained he's skeptical of the future for Venezuelans, citing the United States’ history of international involvement.
"When we rolled into Baghdad and toppled Saddam, people were cheering in those streets back then too. Now the question is, are they gonna like what comes next?" said Turmes.
Idaho News 6 received hundreds of comments online about the situation in Venezuela — some saying things like, "Venezuela has been liberated by the US today" and others saying, "It is all about the oil and nothing else."
"If it turns into the people of Venezuela having a more thoughtful and respectful leader, I think that could be a really good thing," said Griffin Montenegro-Brown.
Montenegro-Brown said he hopes good comes from the operation but does not support the lack of congressional approval.
"So would you have wanted to see Congress included in this decision?" asked neighborhood reporter Brady Caskey.
"Absolutely," said Montenegro-Brown. "It's there for a reason. We have a government; it's not one person gets to decide that this is what we're gonna do. It gets run through the people."
Sen. Jim Risch weighed in on the strikes on Venezuela and the capture of Maduro:
"Nicolas Maduro and his regime posed a grave threat to America. He facilitated the flow of deadly drugs into our country, allowed U.S. adversaries to establish a foothold alarmingly close to our shores, and destabilized a region too close to home for comfort.
Through decisive strikes in Venezuela and the capture of Maduro, President Trump has taken meaningful action to protect our national security and eliminate a serious threat to the American people. These actions have the potential to provide a path toward peace and stability in Venezuela and across our hemisphere.
As always, Congress has a constitutional responsibility to review all kinetic actions and ensure proper oversight. As this process moves forward, I will continue to support efforts that protect America's security, reinforce accountability, and promote stability in the Western Hemisphere."
Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea also responded in a statement:
"This is not how a democracy decides questions of war and the American people know it. By overwhelming margins, Americans opposed military action in Venezuela and believed the president needed to seek Congressional approval first. Instead of heeding the wise concerns of Americans, the president illegally pushed our nation into what's likely to be an expensive, deadly, drawn-out conflict. The president has no clear plan for the coming chaos except to steal the country's oil to enrich corporations and billionaires. The courageous service members who risk their lives, the American taxpayers, and the people of Venezuela, all deserve much better than this."
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
