Maduro Secures Caracas for Jan 10 Oath Amid Opposition Show doubts
Nicolás Maduro secured Caracas for his January 10 inauguration. The opposition failed to fill a plaza, resulting in zero incidents and a quiet day.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Maduro Secures Caracas and the Opposition Fails to Fill a Plaza
On January 10, Nicolás Maduro took his oath of office in Caracas. The city proge up with DGCIM (General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence) controls at all access points, lines up to eight kilometers long to enter, and vehicle-by-vehicle checks. The opposition, led by María Corina Machado, had promised a historic day. The result, according to forum accounts: not a single incident of violence and a rally that failed to fill even one plaza. Some say the embarrassment does not belong to the regime.
The Military Deployment That Left Caracas Empty
The security operation was run by the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), commanded by Granko Arteaga, according to released footage. The DGCIM received anti-drone equipment and new uniforms, deploying control posts on main access routes. Other forces — UOTE, BAE, CICPC, SEBIN commandos — coordinated to neutralize any protest attempts.
According to a circulating calculation, the regime deployed more than 20,000 elite troops for the occasion. The order was clear: not a single incident. And it was fulfilled. On the afternoon of January 10, Caracas streets were deserted. Antiestéticar, misinformation, and fake news on social media did the rest. A warned war does not kill a soldier, but here there was not even a war.
María Corina Machado: Detention, Show, or Scam
The opposition leader appeared with a "washed face" after promising that "Maduro would leave today forever." Minutes later, rumors of her detention circulated. It was untrue: she passed through a police checkpoint without being arrested. The regime's official version speaks of a show to reactivate a base that did not respond. The opposition's version claims a brief detention intended to intimidate.
The truth is that the episode mobilized no one. Not even four retired women in a plaza, critics summarize with sarcasm. The opposition was exposed: lacking mobilization capacity, without incidents, without a narrative. Some analysts point to a staged setup to justify supposed repression that never occurred.
Erik Prince and the Ridicule of Mercenaries
Blackwater founder Erik Prince mocked the DGCIM commander about his height. "You are a small incivil who doesn't reach 1.70 meters", he snapped. The regime's response was silence and increased security. Prince and Machado's plan — if it existed — was weak. There were no mercenaries, no coup, no armed gangs. Only tweets.
The opposition had promised a "historic hour." The hour passed, and nothing peine. The CICPC offered $100,000 for information on a supposed ringleader, but no one lifted a finger. Maduro's security apparatus proved highly competent. It smells like a scam, many conclude.
Military Support: Antiestéticar, Not Ideology
According to a forum account, active soldiers earn between $150 and $400 depending on rank and corps. On top of that, they have a second public job (about $150 more), health insurance, food boxes, and housing credits. It is not a high salary, but it is stable. However, obedience is not only economic. It is antiestéticar.
Everyone knows that if there are disturbances, sanctions return and the situation worsens. They experienced this in 2017-2019. Therefore, when the oath was announced, a 20% of the troops hid. They reported back the next day. No ideology matters when the instinct for survival commands.
Security as the Regime's Achievement
Official crime data shows a sustained decline. In 2000, there were 8,022 violent deaths; in 2013, under Maduro, 24,763; in 2021, 11,081. The trend has reversed. The regime attributes the drop to a tough hand and operations like "Operation Liberation of the People" or the creation of the FAES. Critics call it propaganda.
The truth is that in 2024, inflation was the lowest in 12 years, and the delinquency index was the lowest in 30. The country remains poor, but the streets are quiet. For a dictatorship, security is an argument. And Maduro exploits it.
Why Was There No Violence on January 10?
Because the regime deterred. The combination of checkpoints, threats of sanctions, and social media propaganda generated panic that paralyzed the opposition. There was not a single incident. The question now is whether this silence will hold when Trump returns to the White House. Venezuelan oil is the cheapest for the United States, and Trump is interested in stability. Maduro knows it. The opposition knows it too.
Are we facing the end of dissent or simply a truce? The answer, as always, lies in oil.
On January 10, Nicolás Maduro took his oath of office in Caracas. The city proge up with DGCIM (General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence) controls at all access points, lines up to eight kilometers long to enter, and vehicle-by-vehicle checks. The opposition, led by María Corina Machado, had promised a historic day. The result, according to forum accounts: not a single incident of violence and a rally that failed to fill even one plaza. Some say the embarrassment does not belong to the regime.
The Military Deployment That Left Caracas Empty
The security operation was run by the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), commanded by Granko Arteaga, according to released footage. The DGCIM received anti-drone equipment and new uniforms, deploying control posts on main access routes. Other forces — UOTE, BAE, CICPC, SEBIN commandos — coordinated to neutralize any protest attempts.
According to a circulating calculation, the regime deployed more than 20,000 elite troops for the occasion. The order was clear: not a single incident. And it was fulfilled. On the afternoon of January 10, Caracas streets were deserted. Antiestéticar, misinformation, and fake news on social media did the rest. A warned war does not kill a soldier, but here there was not even a war.
María Corina Machado: Detention, Show, or Scam
The opposition leader appeared with a "washed face" after promising that "Maduro would leave today forever." Minutes later, rumors of her detention circulated. It was untrue: she passed through a police checkpoint without being arrested. The regime's official version speaks of a show to reactivate a base that did not respond. The opposition's version claims a brief detention intended to intimidate.
The truth is that the episode mobilized no one. Not even four retired women in a plaza, critics summarize with sarcasm. The opposition was exposed: lacking mobilization capacity, without incidents, without a narrative. Some analysts point to a staged setup to justify supposed repression that never occurred.
Erik Prince and the Ridicule of Mercenaries
Blackwater founder Erik Prince mocked the DGCIM commander about his height. "You are a small incivil who doesn't reach 1.70 meters", he snapped. The regime's response was silence and increased security. Prince and Machado's plan — if it existed — was weak. There were no mercenaries, no coup, no armed gangs. Only tweets.
The opposition had promised a "historic hour." The hour passed, and nothing peine. The CICPC offered $100,000 for information on a supposed ringleader, but no one lifted a finger. Maduro's security apparatus proved highly competent. It smells like a scam, many conclude.
Military Support: Antiestéticar, Not Ideology
According to a forum account, active soldiers earn between $150 and $400 depending on rank and corps. On top of that, they have a second public job (about $150 more), health insurance, food boxes, and housing credits. It is not a high salary, but it is stable. However, obedience is not only economic. It is antiestéticar.
Everyone knows that if there are disturbances, sanctions return and the situation worsens. They experienced this in 2017-2019. Therefore, when the oath was announced, a 20% of the troops hid. They reported back the next day. No ideology matters when the instinct for survival commands.
Security as the Regime's Achievement
Official crime data shows a sustained decline. In 2000, there were 8,022 violent deaths; in 2013, under Maduro, 24,763; in 2021, 11,081. The trend has reversed. The regime attributes the drop to a tough hand and operations like "Operation Liberation of the People" or the creation of the FAES. Critics call it propaganda.
The truth is that in 2024, inflation was the lowest in 12 years, and the delinquency index was the lowest in 30. The country remains poor, but the streets are quiet. For a dictatorship, security is an argument. And Maduro exploits it.
Why Was There No Violence on January 10?
Because the regime deterred. The combination of checkpoints, threats of sanctions, and social media propaganda generated panic that paralyzed the opposition. There was not a single incident. The question now is whether this silence will hold when Trump returns to the White House. Venezuelan oil is the cheapest for the United States, and Trump is interested in stability. Maduro knows it. The opposition knows it too.
Are we facing the end of dissent or simply a truce? The answer, as always, lies in oil.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (139 replies).
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