Le Thi Van Hanh, an official at the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela, said life in the capital had not been seriously disrupted following reports that the US launched a raid targeting President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Speaking to Dantri/Dtinews on January 6, Hanh said traffic remained light as many residents were on New Year holidays and schools were closed until after January 10.
“People are going about their lives as usual. There has been no major disruption since the raid,” she said.
The Vietnamese community in Venezuela numbers 31 people, including embassy staff and family members. Two Vietnamese officials working on a project with the embassy were temporarily stranded after Caracas Airport was closed on the morning of January 3.
Recalling the night of the operation, Hanh said she and her family were awakened around 2 am on January 3 by loud explosions and the sound of aircraft overhead. A military base about 3km from her home was reportedly struck, making the blasts clearly audible.
“Each explosion made my heart race,” she said, adding that embassy staff were instructed to remain indoors.
Despite the noise, the surrounding neighbourhood remained quiet, with apartment buildings dark and car parks unchanged. Hanh said many locals appeared accustomed to such incidents after years of unrest.
After about 20 minutes, images of smoke began circulating on social media. By 4 am, the sounds subsided and her family returned to sleep.
The following morning, roads that were usually busy were largely empty, and some supermarkets briefly closed or limited customer entry. By midday on January 4, shops reopened, and by January 5 daily life had fully resumed, though police presence at intersections increased.
Caracas’s main airport remains closed, leaving the two Vietnamese officials awaiting transit via Cuba before returning to Vietnam.
Hanh said Venezuela’s economic situation had improved in recent years after severe inflation around 2019, allowing daily life to stabilise.
On January 4, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised citizens to carefully reconsider travel to Venezuela and urged those already there to avoid dangerous areas, follow local regulations and monitor official warnings.
Vietnamese nationals requiring assistance were advised to contact the Vietnamese embassy in Venezuela at +58 4242674447, email: vnemb.ven@mofa.gov.vn; or the consular protection hotline of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at +84 981 84 84 84; Email: baohocongdan@gmail.com.
