STORY: Supporters of Venezuela's ruling party, United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), gathered on Saturday (January 17) in Caracas' Simón Bolívar Square to write and collect letters calling for the release of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, after the pair were captured by the United States earlier this month.

Handwritten messages on display included slogans such as "We want our president."

Government officials said similar letter-writing and collection events were being held in several states across the country on Saturday, part of a series of mobilizations by pro-government groups since the January 3 U.S. raid.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JANUARY 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WRITING LETTERS

2. LETTER READING (English/Spanish) "We want our president"

3. PERSON HOLDING LETTER

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TEACHER, JANETH GARRIDO, SAYING:

"We demand that the President of the United States, who has violated all constitutional rights by kidnapping our president, who was elected by our sovereign people, return him to Miraflores immediately, along with our first lady, Cilia Flores. We want our president, Nicolas Maduro, back. (English) We want our president back."

5. PEOPLE WRITING LETTERS

6. WOMAN SHOWING LETTER

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNIDENTIFIED MADURO SUPPORTER, SAYING:

"He is being held captive. He really is a political prisoner. The law says that this letter must reach him, and millions of letters will reach him."

8. VARIOUS OF CARPENTER, ALI REYES, WRITING A LETTER

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CARPENTER, ALI REYES, SAYING:

"Here we are, spending the day writing letters in support of him and his wife. We are demanding their immediate release and that they return home soon."

10. MAN SHOWING LETTER

11. WOMAN WRITING LETTER

12. SCREEN OF CELLPHONE SHOWING IMAGE READING (Spanish) "We are millions of hearts"

13. WOMAN HOLDING CELLPHONE WITH IMAGE READING (Spanish) "We are millions of hearts"

14. ADMINISTRATOR, OLGA MENDOZA, SIGNING AND KISSING LETTER

15. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ADMINISTRATOR, OLGA MENDOZA, SAYING:

"With every letter and sentence I wrote... it was inevitable, I hadn't shed a tear in all this time. When I wrote that I was letting go of every word and telling him how much I loved him, I felt that he was already reading it. I carry him in my chest, I carry him in my heart. With each of these words, and all of us women and men writing on these blank pages, we are saying to him: President, don't give up.”

16. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WRITING LETTERS

17. WOMAN HOLDING LETTER READING (Spanish) "To: Nicolas and Cilita. Come back soon"

18. PEOPLE PUTTING LETTERS INSIDE BOX

19. WOMAN HOLDING LETTER

20. WOMAN PLACING LETTER INSIDE BOX

21. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PUTTING LETTERS INTO A BOX

22. BANNER WITH PHOTO OF VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO

23. PEOPLE AT EVENT