Blasts and Low-Altitude Planes Witnessed in Venezuela's Capital City Caracas City
Witness testimonies surfaced of several detonations and the noise of low-flying jets in the Venezuelan capital in the small hours of Saturday. This event has sparked allegations from the Venezuelan leadership and requests for global scrutiny.
Caracas Blames US of Military Action
The incumbent regime has blamed the United States of what it calls "imperialist aggression," stating that ex- President Donald Trump allegedly ordered military strikes against the Latin American state. In an public declaration, the government stated that attacks had targeted Caracas and three other regions: Miranda state, La Guaira, and Aragua.
"Our only objective of these strikes is to take control of our nation's key assets, especially its petroleum and mineral wealth," Venezuela declared.
Caracas called on the global community to denounce the operations, which it termed a "flagrant violation of international norms" that put millions of civilians in danger.
Accounts of Explosions and Military Bases Targeted
Locals described experiencing at least several detonations around 2:00 AM local time. Citizens in different districts allegedly hurried into the open.
"The whole ground shook. It was frightening. We experienced blasts and planes in the area," commented one local.
Plumes of smoke was observed rising from major army bases in the city: the La Carlota military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base compound, where president Maduro is thought to live.
Regional Response
The president of bordering Colombia, Gustavo Petro, wrote on X that "Right now they are striking Venezuela... bombing it with missiles." He requested an swift emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
The Colombian government, which recently joined the Security Council, announced it would activate security plans at its frontier with its neighbor.
Preceding Events
The reported attacks come after a months-long campaign of pressure by the United States against the Maduro government. Since last summer, there has been a significant American military deployment off Venezuela's northern coast and a number of air strikes on ships linked to illegal activities.
Venezuela's government has announced "the implementation of external disturbance" and commanded all national defense protocols to be activated. It has also called on its supporters to mobilize and "reject this foreign attack."
The White House and the Defense Department have not publicly addressed inquiries for comment regarding the allegations.
