LIMA / CARACAS: Days before deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was captured in an audacious nighttime military operation that Donald Trump said would set the US up to “run” the South American country, the development was reportedly predicted in Peru’s capital city of Lima, some 4,000 km from Caracas.
On December 29, a group of Peruvian shamans or spiritual healers gathered by the sea in Lima to perform an annual ritual, reported NDTV World. As part of this ritual, they offer glimpses into the upcoming year, including international political developments.
Among their forecasts, the shamans said they visualised Venezuelan President Maduro leaving office and envisioned US President Donald Trump playing a key role in that outcome.
“We have asked for Maduro to leave, to retire, for President Donald Trump of the United States to be able to remove him-an
d we have visualised that next year this will happen,” said shaman Ana Maria Simeon during the ritual, as reported by NDTV World.
However, the shamans also believed Maduro would flee Venezuela and not be captured — an element that did not occur. Another shaman, Juan de Dios Garcia, proclaimed: “Nicolas Maduro will flee Venezuela. He will not be captured.”
Instead, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken into U.S. custody early Saturday in a bold military operation in Caracas. The move — described by Maduro’s government as an “imperialist” act — involved U.S. forces extracting the couple from their residence at a military base. Both now face charges in the United States related to an alleged narco-terrorism conspiracy.
The shamans’ annual ceremony, which blends traditional attire and ritual practices, also included predictions about the Ukraine war ending and other global events. The group’s forecasting record is mixed; in 2023, they had predicted an end to the conflict in Ukraine, and in December 2023 they correctly foresaw the death of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori within a year.
The ritual, held each late December, draws public and media attention for its symbolic forecasts and cultural significance.