In a recent Guardian podcast, Latin America correspondent Tom Phillips shared with editor Annie Kelly what he witnessed in Venezuela four months after the US kidnapping of former President Nicolás Maduro.
“The last time I left Venezuela was in early August 2024, right after the contested presidential election,” Phillips recounted. “It was a moment of real chaos. A wave of repression was underway as Maduro tried to silence all dissent against his fraudulent claim of victory. Thousands were thrown in prison, many went into hiding, and journalists raced to leave the country.”
When Phillips returned to Venezuela in late April this year, four months after the US kidnapping of Maduro, the atmosphere in the country had changed noticeably. “In a sense, it was exhilarating to see political activity happening again, people who had been in hiding reappearing, and hundreds of political prisoners being freed,” he said.
However, many Venezuelans still expressed fear that this political shift might be just an illusion. “They told me they are anxious that everything could vanish at any moment,” Phillips said.
The podcast was produced with support from the Guardian and can be heard at theguardian.com/todayinfocuspod.
