The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, generated a new controversy with derogatory comments towards Venezuelan protesters who protested against the US military intervention that culminated in the capture of Nicolás Maduro. In recent statements, Trump stated: “They are the ugliest I have ever seen,” referring to the participants in a demonstration in New York.
The context of the phrases occurred after the operation that led to the bombing of Caracas and the kidnapping of the former Chavista dictator. While in much of the world – including sectors of the Venezuelan diaspora – the fall of the regime was celebrated, groups of Venezuelans residing in the United States took to the streets to repudiate what they considered an imperialist aggression. In New York, one of those protests caught the attention of Trump, who ironically said: “Venezuela, everyone is happy, except in New York. But where did these people come from?”
Immediately afterwards, the magnate doubled down by suggesting that the protesters were mercenaries: “They were all paid, they didn’t even know what they were talking about.” His words, which quickly went viral, add a new chapter to Trump’s confrontational rhetoric towards those who question his foreign policies, especially in relation to Latin America.
Demonstrations in solidarity with the overthrown Venezuelan government were replicated in several cities around the world, although they were a minority compared to the massive celebrations for the end of Chavismo. In Argentina, for example, the Venezuelan community filled the Obelisk to celebrate, with no records of significant protests in support of Maduro.
Trump’s statements, issued in the first days of January 2026, anticipate a harsh tone for his next administration regarding international policy towards the region.
