Blasts and Low-Flying Planes Reported in Venezuelan Capital Caracas City
Accounts circulated of several blasts and the roar of low-flying aircraft in the Venezuelan capital in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday. The situation has sparked claims from Venezuela's government and requests for global action.
Caracas Condemns US of Military Action
Venezuela's socialist government has accused the United States of an act of "imperialist aggression," alleging that former President Trump allegedly ordered attacks against the Latin American country. In an formal declaration, the authorities asserted that strikes had impacted Caracas and three other states: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua.
"The only objective of this attack is to seize control of our nation's key assets, notably its oil and resources," the government asserted.
The government called on the international community to condemn the strikes, which it labeled a "flagrant violation of global law" that endangered numerous of lives in peril.
Reports of Blasts and Military Installations Targeted
Eyewitnesses spoke of experiencing approximately several detonations around the middle of the night local time. Citizens in various neighborhoods reportedly ran into the streets outside.
"The whole ground shook. This is frightening. We experienced blasts and jets in the sky," said one witness.
Plumes of smoke was observed billowing from key defense sites in Caracas: the La Carlota airbase airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base military base, where president Nicolás Maduro is reported to reside.
Global Condemnation
The leader of bordering Colombia, Gustavo Petro, claimed on a social platform that "At this moment they are attacking Venezuela... bombing it with rockets." He demanded an swift meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
The Colombian government, which recently joined the Security Council, said it would initiate operational plans at its shared border with Venezuela.
Background
The alleged strikes are preceded by a prolonged campaign of pressure by the Trump administration against the Maduro government. Since last summer, there has been a major American military presence off the country's northern coast and a number of airstrikes on ships accused of illegal activities.
Venezuela's government has declared "a state of external threat" and directed all defense protocols to be initiated. It has also urged its citizens to take to the streets and "reject this imperialist aggression."
American officials and the US Department of Defense have not publicly responded to inquiries for a statement regarding the events.
