Blasts and Low-Flying Planes Heard in Venezuelan Capital City Caracas
Reports emerged of numerous detonations and the noise of low-altitude planes in Caracas in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday. This event has prompted allegations from the Venezuelan government and calls for global action.
Venezuela Condemns US of Military Action
Venezuela's incumbent regime has blamed the United States of committing "foreign aggression," stating that former President Trump allegedly ordered strikes against the South American nation. In an formal declaration, the authorities confirmed that attacks had targeted the capital and several other regions: Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua.
"The only objective of this aggression is to seize control of Venezuela's natural resources, in particular its crude oil and mineral wealth," the government said.
Caracas appealed to the international community to censure the operations, which it termed a "flagrant violation of international norms" that put millions of civilians in jeopardy.
Accounts of Explosions and Defense Sites Hit
Eyewitnesses spoke of hearing roughly seven detonations around the middle of the night in the morning. Citizens in several areas reportedly hurried into the streets.
"The earth trembled. This is horrible. We heard blasts and planes in the area," commented one local.
Smoke was reported rising from major army bases in Caracas: the La Carlota airbase air base and the Fuerte Tiuna base military base, where leader Nicolás Maduro is believed to have a residence.
Global Reaction
The leader of neighboring Colombia, Gustavo Petro, wrote on a social platform that "Right now they are bombing Venezuela... attacking it with rockets." He called for an immediate emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
The Colombian government, which recently joined the Security Council, stated it would initiate security protocols at its border with Venezuela.
Preceding Events
These reported strikes follow a extended military buildup by the Trump administration against the Maduro administration. Since August, authorities reported a major American military presence off the country's northern coast and a number of airstrikes on vessels accused of drug trafficking.
The government has declared "a state of external threat" and directed all defense plans to be implemented. It has also called on its supporters to mobilize and "repudiate this imperialist act."
The White House and the Defense Department did not immediately responded to inquiries for comment regarding the reports.
