Venezuelans and Colombians in Bogotá weigh post‑Maduro future

Reports say U.S. forces captured Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro in a raid on Caracas, and U.S. President Donald Trump then threatened military action against Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro — a sequence that has left residents in Bogotá expressing both relief and concern.

It's been two centuries since Colombia and Venezuela went their separate ways, and relations remain uneasy. Reports say Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was captured in a U.S. raid in Caracas last week. U.S. President Donald Trump then issued threats of military action toward Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro. The Globe and Mail spoke with Venezuelan and Colombian residents in Bogotá about how they felt and what might change. Voices from Bogotá: - Reports indicate Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in Caracas, and residents reacted with a range of feelings from relief to deep concern about foreign intervention. - Mr. Trump’s public threats against President Gustavo Petro were widely noticed in Bogotá, and many interviewees described anxiety about the possibility of further U.S. action. - People living near the border and those working in tourism reported worry about militarization, possible migration shifts, and economic effects on local communities. - Several Venezuelans in Bogotá said Maduro’s removal feels like a moment of relief after years of crisis, while some Colombians voiced unease about sovereignty and regional stability. Summary: Residents interviewed in Bogotá expressed mixed emotions: some welcomed the removal of a long-standing Venezuelan leader, while others worried about violations of sovereignty, border militarization, and economic fallout for communities that host migrants. Many said they take threats of U.S. action seriously and feel uncertainty about what will happen next. Undetermined at this time.