Blasts and Low-Flying Jets Reported in Venezuela's Capital Caracas City
Reports surfaced of several blasts and the roar of low-altitude jets in the Venezuelan capital in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday morning. This situation has sparked accusations from Venezuela's government and requests for global intervention.
Caracas Blames US of Aggression
Venezuela's authoritarian regime has condemned the Washington of committing "imperialist aggression," claiming that ex- President Donald Trump reportedly ordered strikes against the Latin American country. In an formal statement, the authorities confirmed that attacks had hit the capital and three other states: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua.
"Our only objective of these strikes is to gain control of our nation's strategic resources, notably its petroleum and minerals," Venezuela asserted.
Venezuelan officials called on the global community to censure the actions, which it termed a "clear infringement of global law" that put countless of lives at risk in peril.
Reports of Explosions and Defense Bases Targeted
Residents described experiencing at least seven detonations around 2 a.m. local time. Residents in several areas reportedly rushed into the streets.
"The whole ground shook. It was horrible. We heard explosions and jets in the sky," commented one local.
Black smoke was observed pouring from key defense sites in Caracas: the La Carlota military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base army base, where president Maduro is believed to have a residence.
Regional Reaction
The leader of bordering Colombia, stated on a social platform that "Right now they are bombing Caracas... bombing it with projectiles." He demanded an swift meeting of the UN Security Council.
The Colombian government, which just joined the Security Council, announced it would initiate defense measures at its shared border with Venezuela.
Context
These alleged strikes follow a months-long military buildup by the Trump administration against the Maduro administration. Since last summer, there has been a significant American military deployment off the country's northern coast and a number of airstrikes on vessels accused of drug trafficking.
The government has stated "the implementation of emergency" and commanded all defense measures to be activated. It has also urged its supporters to protest and "reject this imperialist act."
American officials and the US Department of Defense did not publicly commented on requests for clarification regarding the reports.
