CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – On a fateful night, explosions rocked the capital city of Venezuela, prompting 21-year-old Mariana Camargo to sprint through the streets of eastern Caracas at 2:05 AM. The turmoil erupted as U.S. military operations began, marking a significant moment in Venezuela’s tumultuous history. Associated Press photographer Matías Delacroix was present, capturing the chaos emerging from these military strikes, creating one of the first images of the American intervention in the country.
In the days following the incident, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured by the Trump administration, leading to his vice president taking over. In the wake of the disruptions, Camargo and Delacroix found themselves at the same location where the iconic photograph had been taken. Reflecting on the night of the explosions, Camargo recalled a moment when a woman in a large truck urgently warned her and her friends to retreat to safety, alerting them to the ongoing bombings. With a group of nine friends, they decided to flee the area.
The photograph that Delacroix took captured Camargo's raw emotion as she ran in fear, clad in a white shirt and jeans, with urgency etched on her face. As she sprinted down the street with her friends, Delacroix stood off to the side, snapping images of the unfolding scene. The photographer was drawn to her fearful expression amidst the chaos, believing it best represented the gravity of the moment. Delacroix expressed to Camargo, "What caught my attention was how you were running, with your cellphone and clearly scared." This moment became a pivotal image that resonated with viewers around the globe, effectively encapsulating the dread felt by many during that chaotic night.
As the photograph made headlines and circulated through various media outlets worldwide, it garnered attention from Camargo’s social circle. Friends began to ping each other in their WhatsApp group, astonished by her unexpected prominence. One particularly enthusiastic friend wrote, "Am I tripping or is that Nana Mariana???" referring to a common nickname for Mariana. Soon, the image became a source of humor for Camargo's friends, evolving into memes with playful captions like "the gringos have arrived!" Camargo shared the laughter with her friends, though she acknowledged a lingering sense of panic whenever she revisited clips of that harrowing night.
In the wake of the military strikes, Camargo reached out to Delacroix through Instagram, seeking additional photographs that captured the fleeting moments of that chaotic evening. When they reunited on the streets of Caracas days later, their interactions concluded with a warm embrace. Camargo humorously noted, "Crazy things always happen to me. Of course, I end up on the street during a bombing and I go viral. It's nuts." Her laughter echoed through the chaos that had become synonymous with daily life in Venezuela, highlighting the tension between humor and horror in such unpredictable circumstances.
As the aftermath of the strike settled, the lasting effects on both individuals and the nation became painfully apparent, marking a noteworthy chapter in Venezuela's ongoing narrative of uncertainty and struggle.
