🔗 Share this article

Accounts circulated of numerous blasts and the roar of low-altitude planes in Caracas in the early hours of the weekend. This event has prompted accusations from Venezuela's authorities and calls for international scrutiny.

Venezuela Condemns Washington of Aggression

Venezuela's incumbent regime has accused the United States of committing "imperial aggression," claiming that ex- President Donald Trump reportedly ordered military strikes against the Latin American nation. In an official declaration, the government asserted that strikes had hit Caracas and three other provinces: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua.

"The primary goal of this attack is to take control of Venezuela's strategic resources, in particular its petroleum and mineral wealth," the government said.

Venezuelan officials called on the international community to denounce the actions, which it labeled a "clear infringement of international norms" that endangered countless of lives at risk in jeopardy.

Accounts of Explosions and Defense Sites Targeted

Residents described experiencing at least seven detonations around 2 a.m. local time. Citizens in various neighborhoods reportedly rushed into the open.

"Everything shook. It was terrifying. We heard explosions and aircraft in the sky," commented one witness.

Black smoke was observed pouring from key military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota air base and the Fuerte Tiuna base military base, where leader Nicolás Maduro is thought to reside.

Global Reaction

The leader of bordering Colombia, Gustavo Petro, wrote on a social platform that "Right now they are striking Venezuela... attacking it with rockets." He called for an swift emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Colombia, which recently joined the Security Council, announced it would initiate operational protocols at its shared border with its neighbor.

Context

These reported attacks come after a prolonged campaign of pressure by the Trump administration against the Maduro administration. Beginning in last summer, authorities reported a substantial American military buildup off the country's northern coast and a series of airstrikes on vessels suspected of narco-trafficking.

Venezuela's government has declared "a state of emergency" and ordered all defense plans to be activated. It has also summoned its supporters to take to the streets and "reject this external attack."

US authorities and the US Department of Defense have not publicly commented on requests for a statement regarding the events.