Donald Trump’s strike on Venezuela has thrown the nation into turmoil. While the American President has claimed that the US would run the country until stability is restored, developments on the ground appear to complicate that plan.
According to The Mirror US, armed motorcycle gangs, known as The Colectivos, are reportedly patrolling the streets of Caracas, looking for individuals who are supporting America’s attack on Venezuela.
The Colectivos remain loyal to the captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the fact that they are continuing their operation of establishing checkpoints throughout the city, halting vehicles and interrogating people, shows that at least one high-ranking government official is backing them up.
It should be noted here that immediately after Maduro was captured, a state-of-emergency was declared by the Venezuelan authorities and the police was ordered to “immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States.”
View this post on Instagram
The biker gangs, who have been going through people’s phones and questioning them to find out if they are in favor of Trump’s attack on Venezuela are therefore acting as the unofficial wing of the authorities who are going by the rules of the emergency declaration.
Reports suggest that the riders could be spotted wearing masks and carrying Kalashnikov rifles, further intensifying the air of fear around their movement in the city.
As reported by The Daily Mail, a number of Colectivos members have been spotted in pictures with Diosdado Cabello, Maduro’s Interior, Justice and Peace Minister, who has shown unwavering support to Maduro, claiming that he still remains the rightful President of Venezuela.
In a release by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, Cabello said, “Here, the unity of the revolutionary force is more than guaranteed, and here there is only one president, whose name is Nicolas Maduro Moros. Let no one fall for the enemy’s provocations.”
As reported by The Mirror US, “Videos making rounds on social media show Cabello, who has a $50 million US bounty tied to drug trafficking, alongside militia members chanting a slogan translated as: ‘Always loyal, never traitors.’”
The actions of the gang members have caused tension among citizens who have a previous history of criticizing Maduro and his government. An anonymous citizen voiced their concern, saying that given they were checking people’s phones, it might land them in trouble since they have previously spoken up about the government.
While Venezuela is grappling with such tensions, Trump’s main motivation behind attacking the country is becoming increasingly evident. Taking to Truth Social, Trump posted, “I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.”
EL PUEBLO DE VENEZUELA UNIDO Y MOVILIZADO POR LA VUELTA DE SU PRESIDENTE Y CONTRA LA AGRESION YANKEE A SU PAIS.
ESTO DEMUESTRA QUE MADURO ES EL LEGITIMO PRESIDENTE DE VENEZUELA.
VENEZUELA VENCERA!!! pic.twitter.com/9PWkdO7Cq0
— Juanjo Reina (@JuanjoReina4) January 8, 2026
This shows how this attack was largely motivated by America’s desire to have access to the oil that Venezuela has and the pretexts of drug trafficking concerns were mostly relevant on the surface.
However, despite Trump’s aggressive and unethical behavior toward Venezuela, the previous Vice President and present Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has taken a gentler approach to address the situation and the militia.
Releasing a statement on Sunday, she said, “We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on a cooperation agenda, aimed at shared development, within the framework of international law, and to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
With Trump securing oil deals with the country and the emergency state getting more tense with every passing day, it now remains to be seen how long does it take for things to get back to somewhat normal in Venezuela.
