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“I worry about my family and friends because the current government is inciting violence,” said Garcia Brito, voicing a sentiment shared by many concerned citizens in the wake of recent U.S. military actions.
The fear and uncertainty were palpable in the early hours of January 3, 2026, as explosions rocked Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. Residents scrambled for safety, and the ominous roar of low-flying aircraft filled the night sky.
Reports of casualties remain unconfirmed, but according to an unnamed Venezuelan official cited by The New York Times, at least 40 individuals have lost their lives due to the U.S. strikes.
Pedestrians ran after explosions, and low-flying aircraft were heard over Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in the early hours of 3 January 2026. Source: AP / Matias Delacroix
The official numbers of the casualties from the US attack on Venezuela have not been confirmed yet, but the New York Times has reported at least 40 people were killed, according to an unnamed Venezuelan official.
More than 6,600 people born in Venezuela are living in Australia, according to the 2021 Census.
Sydney resident Maria Fernanda Garcia Brito is concerned for loved ones in Venezuela following the US operation in her home country. Credit: SBS News
‘Familiar with heartbreak’
Genesis Lindstrom, the president of the Venezuelan Association of Australia, has several relatives back home who she said went through “some pretty scary moments”.
After the attack, US President Donald Trump said the US will “run” Venezuela for a time, “until such time as the proper transition can take place”.
The community gathered in Papelon, a Venezuelan restaurant in Melbourne, a day after the US attacks.
Lindstrom said the attacks were “a lot more complex than saying you supported or not”. She said the community had been seeking a democratic transition of power for decades.
“We are now calling for the liberation of political prisoners, over around 1,000 people, including teenagers, who are in prison unjustly and kept in inhumane conditions,” she said.
