Venezuelan Australians Navigate Mixed Feelings Amid US Strikes: A Story of Joy and Uncertainty

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Maria Fernanda Garcia Brito was sitting on the couch in her Sydney home when she received a panicked call from her mother in Venezuela.

“My mum called me worried because she could hear a lot of helicopters, and a lot was going on, and [she] was uncertain,” the Venezuelan Australian woman told SBS News.

For Garcia Brito, the developments drew mixed emotions — concern for the safety of loved ones, amidst hope for the future.

“I was alleviated, and the reality that things were gonna change with Venezuela. I felt joy because it was a first step for Maduro to be captured,” Garcia Brito said.

“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.

A woman in a white blouse and jeans runs down a city sidewalk at night with a concerned expression, while a man on a cell phone runs behind her.

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.

The number of Australians in Venezuela is unknown.

A spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told SBS News the department is taking steps to determine whether any Australians were affected by the US attacks.

Australia does not have an embassy in Venezuela, limiting DFAT’s ability to provide consular assistance.

More than 6,600 people born in Venezuela are living in Australia, according to the 2021 Census.

A woman in a white dress sitting next to a Christmas tree.

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”.

“It was devastating. It’s something that the community … has been experiencing over the last two decades,” Lindstrom said.

“We are somewhat familiar with the heartbreak that it is to see our families suffer on the other side of the world and not being able to do anything but send good wishes and pray for them.”

Lindstrom was among the members of the community who gathered in a Venezuelan restaurant in Melbourne on Sunday to share their feelings.

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”.

A group of people, some standing and others sitting, inside a restaurant holding Venezuelan flags.

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.

Greens denounce ‘gross breach of international law’

“Australia has long held concerns about the situation in Venezuela, including the need to respect democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms,” he said on Sunday.

Opposition leader Sussan Ley and Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Michaelia Cash have welcomed the news of Maduro being taken into custody in the US.

Greens foreign affairs spokesperson David Shoebridge described the US action as “a gross breach of international law” that puts the world on a “dangerous path of lawless aggression”.

Lindstrom said she welcomes Albanese’s comments.

“Being so far away and with not the closest of trade and economic relationships with Venezuela, the Australian government’s response, sometimes it’s something that we can feel like we are needing.

“We’re needing to create noise.”