TEHRAN — In a brazen escalation of longstanding hostility, the United States conducted airstrikes on Venezuela on early Saturday (January 3) in what international observers have widely denounced as an illegal violation of national sovereignty.

Amid the chaos and a fog of disinformation following U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement claiming the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s claim that the “indicted” couple will face trial in New York, the Tehran Times conducted an exclusive interview with Venezuelan journalist Kleybergel González on Saturday.

Speaking from a city approximately 50 kilometers from the capital, González provided a sobering look at a nation caught between the silence of a “tense calm” and the fire of foreign intervention.

A nation in waiting

The immediate aftermath of the strikes has left the country’s urban centers paralyzed. González described a haunting scene where an expectant, heavy stillness has replaced the usual vibrancy of Venezuelan life.

“So far, everything is in a state of tense calm,” González reported.

He noted that the streets are currently devoid of civilians, and the majority of commercial establishments have shuttered their doors in anticipation of further developments.

This physical stillness, however, masks a deep internal anxiety. “Despite the calm, I must admit there is a great deal of concern within my family and among the people I’ve been able to speak with,” he said.

The primary catalyst for this unease remains the uncertainty surrounding the executive branch.

“We are still waiting for official information from the authorities regarding the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro.”

The situation remains uncertain, though the constitutional line of succession designates Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as next in command.

Condemning the ‘vile attack’

While Washington’s narrative portrays the strikes as surgical and justified, the sentiment on the ground—as articulated by González—is one of profound indignation.

The journalist was unequivocal in his characterization of the U.S. government’s aggressive actions, reflecting a broader national consensus that views the intervention as a desecration of their history.

“We are all absolutely against this vile attack by the United States government,” González stated. “They have defiled Bolívar’s homeland, but we are certain that through national unity and strong patriotic awareness, we will overcome this new situation.”

This invocation of Simón Bolívar underscores the ideological resilience of a population that views U.S. interventionism as a relic of the Monroe Doctrine imperialism.

González emphasized that rather than fracturing the nation, the external pressure is forging a “strong patriotic awareness” that may prove to be Washington’s miscalculation.

In a televised statement, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino described the U.S. attack as “the most criminal military aggression” against the country and vowed that Venezuela “will not surrender.”

The scope of the bombardment

The technical reality of the strikes suggests a broad attempt to decapitate Venezuela’s defensive capabilities. González confirmed that the bombardment was not localized to a single region but spanned several strategic states.

When asked about the human toll, he stated, “No, so far I have not seen any [toll on] civilian deaths.”

However, González detailed the extensive nature of the military targeting: “I can only report the bombing of military installations in the states of Aragua, Miranda, La Guaira, and in the capital, Caracas.”

The targeting of sites in Aragua and La Guaira—key coastal and strategic corridors—indicates an attempt to paralyze the Venezuelan military’s response capacity. Yet, as the smoke clears over these installations, the political fallout continues to favor the Venezuelan spirit of resistance.

While the question of presidential succession remains a point of intense speculation in international circles, the domestic reality described by González is one of a people unified by crisis.