The image emerged as a visual record of the American strikes that, days later, preceded Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s removal from power after his capture by the Trump administration. For Camargo, who had laughed when she saw the photo spread as a meme among her friends, the underlying memory remained visceral.

CARACAS, Venezuela — At 2:05 a.m. on Jan. 7, as American airstrikes shook eastern Caracas, Associated Press photographer Matías Delacroix ran toward the explosions with his camera. Mariana Camargo, 21, ran the other way.

Their crossing paths produced one of the first images of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela: Camargo in a white shirt and jeans, sprinting through the street, fear and urgency on her face, friends running behind her. The photograph appeared on the front pages and websites of major media outlets worldwide.

Days later, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was replaced by his vice president following his capture by the Trump administration.

”Kids, go home — they’re bombing”

Delacroix had awoken to the rumbling sound of American strikes, grabbed his camera and ran out onto the street toward the explosions. It was there, with the sound of military aircraft overhead, that he encountered Camargo and a group of about nine people moving in the opposite direction.

Camargo described the warning they received seconds before the photo was taken.

“A woman arrived in a big truck and she screeched to a stop and said ‘kids what are you doing here, go home they’re bombing!” Camargo remembered. “We were like nine people and we were like ‘Well, let’s run.’ We started to run and passed by here.”

When the two met days later at the same location where the photograph was taken, Delacroix explained what distinguished Camargo’s image from others he captured that night.

“What caught my attention was how you were running, with your cellphone and clearly scared. I have photos of your friend that was behind you, but between the two photos, yours was the one that expressed the most what was happening,” said Delacroix to Camargo as they flipped through the photos.

From front pages to WhatsApp memes

As the photograph spread across international media, Camargo’s friends began recognizing her in their shared WhatsApp group.

“Am I tripping or is that Nana Mariana???” one friend asked, posting the image. In Venezuela, Nana is a nickname for Mariana. “IT IS NANA!” another replied shortly after.

The photo became a meme, with the words “the gringos have arrived!” written over it.

“Now I laughed, and I laughed when I saw the photo. My mom laughed, my friends too. They made stickers and memes and all that,” Camargo said. “But I still see the videos of what happened that day, of the explosions, I hear the sounds and I still feel this sense of panic.”

Meeting the photographer

On Sunday, a day after the strikes, Camargo messaged Delacroix on Instagram to ask whether he had more photographs from the moment. They met on Tuesday at the same spot.

The two parted with a hug. Camargo reflected on how the night had unfolded.

“Crazy things always happen to me,” she said with a laugh. “Of course I end up on the street during a bombing and I go viral. It’s nuts.”