Venezuelans living in Chile celebrated in Santiago early last Saturday morning after news broke of a U.S. operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. More than 1,000 people gathered in Parque Almagro in Santiago to celebrate the news, embracing, cheering, chanting, and weeping.

The celebrations followed a U.S. operation described as a "large scale strike" in Caracas, according to reports. The large Venezuelan diaspora in Chile reacted with jubilation at the prospect of returning to their home country and the potential restoration of democracy.

Mary Montesinos, the Chile representative of Voluntad Popular, a major Venezuelan opposition party, participated in the celebrations but urged caution. "The topic of conversation was that we're all going to go home, the regime will fall and we will get our democracy back," Montesinos said, while also noting that Maduro's capture does not guarantee an immediate return to normalcy. "They've captured Maduro, but the reg..." she added, before cautioning against premature expectations.

Chile has become home to a significant number of Venezuelan exiles in recent years, fleeing the economic and political turmoil in their home country. The capture of Maduro represents a potential turning point, but the future of Venezuela remains uncertain. The political landscape is complex, and the stability of the country hinges on what comes next.