Venezuelans gathered in a public square in Bogota on Wednesday (January 4), singing their national anthem and calling for political change, as exiled and local voices pressed for a transition in their troubled homeland.

The gathering featured participants holding signs and wearing shirts that read slogans such as "Venezuela Libre" (Free Venezuela). A visibly emotional crowd sang patriotic songs, with some overwhelmed to tears.

Gaby Arellano, a Venezuelan politician living in exile in Colombia, urged decisive action. "Trump and Marco Rubio have been very clear in the last few hours," Arellano said. "Delcy has a window of opportunity, either she enforces the constitution or she will suffer the same fate as Cilia and will join her in New York," she warned.

Another attendee, Maliberkis Herrera, stressed the importance of a political transition led by the U.S. government.

Maduro is in a New York detention center awaiting a Monday (January 5) court appearance on drug charges. U.S. President Donald Trump, who went golfing on Sunday, ordered his seizure from Venezuela on Saturday and said the U.S. would take control of the country.

In Caracas, top officials in Maduro's government, who have called the detentions of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores a kidnapping, were still in charge.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (JANUARY 4, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VENEZUELANS GATHERED IN PUBLIC SQUARE

2. VENEZUELANS SINGING NATIONAL ANTHEM

3. RESIDENT CRYING WHILE SINGING ANTHEM

4. VARIOUS OF VENEZUELANS GATHERED IN PUBLIC SQUARE

5. CLOSE-UP OF T-SHIRT READING (Spanish): "VENEZUELA LIBRE"

6. VENEZUELANS GATHERED IN PUBLIC SQUARE

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN POLITICIAN LIVING IN EXILE IN COLOMBIA, GABY ARELLANO, SAYING: "And I think Trump and Marco Rubio have been very clear in the last few hours. Delcy Rodriguez has a window of opportunity, like Maduro had on July 28, 2024, and he dismissed it. Delcy has a window of opportunity, either she enforces the constitution or she will suffer the same fate as Cilia and will join her in New York. This is very clear, there's no turning back, the strategic line is clear."

8. VARIOUS OF VENEZUELANS GATHERED IN PUBLIC SQUARE

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN LIVING IN COLOMBIA, MALIBERKIS HERRERA, SAYING:

"This is what has to happen, why? Because government entities are still not clean, the defence minister still hasn't left, still hasn't handed over power, so we can't let our political leaders take over the government until they leave. It would be a risk to leave them and put our leaders in. That's why we need to go through a transition process which Donald Trump will lead, he said it clearly, it's a transition process where we will administer the country and that means cleaning up government entities, cleaning up the country, and then our leaders, our political leaders will take office, through elections or by validating the elections that were already held the year before last (2024)."

10. VENEZUELANS GATHERED IN PUBLIC SQUARE

11. VENEZUELAN WITH VENEZUELA FLAG PAINTED ON HER FACE

12. VARIOUS OF VENEZUELANS GATHERED IN PUBLIC SQUARE

13. VARIOUS OF VENEZUELAN MAKING VIDEO CALL