The detention of Venezuelan President Maduro: the consequences for the fashion sector, expected and unexpected

The geopolitical events in Venezuela, culminating in the detention of President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, January 4, 2026, had unexpected consequences, provoking a surge in consumer interest in the nke brand tracksuit, in which the Venezuelan president is depicted on board an airplane in a photo published by US President Donald Trump. The gray kit, identified as the nike tech fleece, went viral, and sales of this model increased dramatically. According to Google Trends, search queries for the terms nike tech, grey nike tech and nike tech tracksuit showed dramatic growth on January 4th and 5th. The increased demand led to a shortage of goods, especially in the size 3xl, which, according to users, was worn by Maduro; this size disappeared from sale about an hour after the image began to spread. The price of a full set of nike tech fleece in the secondary markets has almost tripled, reaching 500-1000 dollars. Along with this fashionable phenomenon, political instability has predictably affected the plans of the business community. according to the website information modaes.com Some international fashion groups have closed their stores in Venezuela in anticipation of further developments. In particular, this decision was made by a partner of the Spanish inditex group, which closed four of its stores for the safety of employees and customers. inditex (owner of zara, bershka, pull&bear) has previously demonstrated caution by closing all stores in 2021, but resuming its presence in 2025.