This video doesn't show Venezuelans celebrating after Maduro’s capture

After Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s capture, social media users rapidly shared videos showing Venezuelans celebrating.

But many of these videos predated his arrest by the U.S. military. One in particular — from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones — stood out, receiving 2 million views as of Jan. 5.

"Millions of Venezuelans flooded the streets of Caracas and other major cities in celebration of the ouster of Communist dictator Nicholas Maduro," Jones posted Jan. 3 on X along with a video showing hordes of people gathered outside, chanting and waving the Venezuelan flag.

The same video was shared July 30, 2024, on X and Instagram. It shows people protesting election officials’ declaration that Maduro had won the country's presidential election. Venezuelan politician Tomás Guanipa also shared the footage in a 2024 Instagram post in which he called on the National Electoral Council to publish the presidential election results. A Dominican Republic news outlet also reported on the footage.

Maduro and wife Cilia Flores were both forcibly taken into U.S. custody Jan. 3 and made their first appearance in U.S. federal court Jan. 5, facing charges related to cocaine trafficking. Maduro and Flores each pleaded not guilty.

In some parts of the world, Venezuelan expatriates celebrated Maduro’s ousting. He led an authoritarian regime for 13 years and declared victory after a 2024 election that international observers described as fraudulent. The country’s opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, received about 70% of the vote.

However, anti-Maduro sentiments were muted in Venezuela’s streets following the U.S. raid and capture, reporting from the country shows. Maduro’s inner-circle, including his vice president, who has now been sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president, appeared to remain in leadership roles, raising citizens’ concerns about possible retaliation. Fortune reported that the streets of Caracas were largely quiet in the days following the U.S. attack that led to Maduro’s capture, save Maduro supporters who publicly condemned his arrest. The Associated Press shared footage of a quiet Caracas after the U.S. operation.

Jones wasn’t alone in sharing outdated or out of context video as proof Maduro’s capture had sparked widespread celebration inside Venezuela. 

President Donald Trump shared a video Jan. 5 of Venezuelans gathering with the caption, "Trump just showed every liberal Democrat what a real No Kings celebration is supposed to look like." But the footage was first shared in 2024 and showed people in El Vigía, Venezuela, cheering Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s movement.

YouTuber Nick Shirley posted a video on X Jan. 3 that he also said showed celebrations in Venezuela. But the Miami Herald and other local news outlets said the scene was filmed Jan. 3 in Doral, Florida.

And a widely shared Jan. 3 X post showed video of someone tearing a Maduro poster from a Venezuela billboard. But that scene was captured in July 2024 in an Aragua, Venezuela, protest against election fraud, according to a Venezuelan news outlet.

Our ruling

Jones said a video showed "millions of Venezuelans flooded the streets of Caracas" to celebrate Maduro’s capture.

The footage dates back to 2024 when citizens protested election officials’ declaration that Maduro had won the country's presidential election. News coverage shows Venezuelan streets were largely quiet following U.S. attacks in Caracas.

We rate this claim False.