Blasts and Low-Flying Aircraft Heard in Venezuela's Capital City Caracas City
Reports circulated of several blasts and the sound of low-flying jets in the Venezuelan capital in the small hours of Saturday morning. The situation has prompted claims from the Venezuelan authorities and calls for international action.
Venezuela Condemns Washington of Military Action
The authoritarian government has blamed the US of committing "imperial aggression," alleging that former President Trump supposedly directed strikes against the South American nation. In an formal statement, the authorities asserted that strikes had hit Caracas and three other states: Miranda state, La Guaira state, and Aragua.
"The sole aim of this attack is to seize control of our nation's strategic resources, notably its oil and minerals," the statement declared.
Venezuelan officials urged the international community to denounce the actions, which it termed a "blatant breach of international norms" that endangered numerous of lives in danger.
Accounts of Blasts and Military Installations Hit
Residents reported hearing approximately multiple explosions around the middle of the night in the morning. Residents in several neighborhoods allegedly hurried into the streets.
"The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We experienced explosions and planes in the sky," stated one witness.
Plumes of smoke was observed billowing from key military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base army base, where leader Nicolás Maduro is believed to live.
International Reaction
The president of bordering Colombia, Gustavo Petro, claimed on X that "Currently they are attacking Venezuela... attacking it with rockets." He called for an immediate meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
The Colombian government, which recently joined the Security Council, announced it would initiate operational plans at its frontier with Venezuela.
Context
The alleged attacks come after a prolonged campaign of pressure by the United States against the Maduro administration. Since August, authorities reported a major US military presence off Venezuela's Caribbean coast and a series of strikes on ships suspected of illegal activities.
Venezuela's government has announced "a state of external disturbance" and commanded all national defence measures to be initiated. It has also summoned its citizens to protest and "denounce this imperialist aggression."
American officials and the Defense Department did not publicly responded to inquiries for a statement regarding the reports.
