Venezuelans around the world demonstrated following the apprehension of Nicolás Maduro, whose tenure was characterized by economic downfall and a massive exodus from the oil-rich country.

Hours after the President announced that Maduro and his wife had been removed from the country via an overnight U.S. military operation, Venezuelans in Miami, Fla., Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Madrid, Spain, wore their nation’s colors and waved flags.

In these locations, Venezuelans danced and cheered, with festivities also occurring outside Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Fla. In Doral, Fla., celebrants shouted “Liberty!” and wrapped themselves in Venezuelan flags.

Near the El Arepazo restaurant, a center for Doral’s Venezuelan community, a man held a cardboard sign with the word “Libertad” written in black marker. This feeling was shared by other Venezuelan nationals, who chanted “Liberty! Liberty! Liberty!” while expressing hope for a fresh start for their homeland.

“We’re like everybody — it’s a mix of emotions, of course,” Alejandra Arrieta, who arrived in the U.S. in 1997, informed The Associated Press.

“There are fears. There’s excitement,” she stated. “We have been anticipating this for so many years. Something needed to occur in Venezuela. We all require freedom.”

Joyous groups also assembled in , where a child carried a placard stating “Somos Libres,” which translates to “We Are Free.”

The protests highlighted the magnitude of the , which expanded significantly during Maduro’s rule as millions escaped what opponents call a time of economic failure defined by hyperinflation and extensive food scarcities.

Approximately 8 million individuals have left Venezuela since 2017, creating one of the biggest displacement emergencies globally, as per the .

Over 6.9 million Venezuelans are presently residing in Latin American and Caribbean nations, with several hundred thousand more living in the United States and Europe; these diaspora groups have stayed politically involved and attentive to developments in their home country.

Maduro assumed power in 2013, taking over from long-time Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez after his death, and led during an era noted for economic downturn, political instability, and large-scale migration.

Responses to the were not universally positive.

Rallies supporting and condemning the strikes are planned for Buenos Aires and other regional cities, highlighting profound disagreements regarding Venezuela’s future and the part played by Washington in the situation.

In Greece, supporters of the Greek Communist Party staged a protest against Maduro’s capture.