Blasts and Low-Altitude Planes Reported in Venezuelan Capital City Caracas City
Witness testimonies surfaced of several blasts and the roar of low-altitude jets in Caracas in the small hours of Saturday morning. This event has sparked accusations from the Venezuelan leadership and demands for diplomatic intervention.
Caracas Accuses Washington of Military Action
Venezuela's authoritarian government has accused the Washington of what it calls "imperialist aggression," claiming that ex- President Trump supposedly directed military strikes against the Latin American state. In an official statement, the authorities stated that strikes had targeted Caracas and several other provinces: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua.
"The primary goal of these strikes is to seize control of Venezuela's key assets, notably its oil and minerals," Venezuela said.
The government called on the international community to denounce the actions, which it described a "clear infringement of international norms" that placed millions of lives in peril.
Accounts of Blasts and Military Installations Targeted
Eyewitnesses described experiencing approximately seven explosions around the middle of the night in the morning. People in different neighborhoods allegedly rushed into the streets outside.
"Everything shook. It was terrifying. We experienced blasts and aircraft in the distance," stated one resident.
Black smoke was reported billowing from key army bases in Caracas: the La Carlota airbase airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base military base, where president Nicolás Maduro is reported to have a residence.
Regional Reaction
The president of bordering Colombia, wrote on social media that "Currently they are bombing Caracas... bombing it with missiles." He called for an urgent emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Colombia, which recently became a member of the Security Council, stated it would activate operational protocols at its border with its neighbor.
Background
These reported attacks are preceded by a extended pressure campaign by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan regime. Since last summer, authorities reported a major US military deployment off the country's northern coast and a number of airstrikes on ships accused of narco-trafficking.
The administration has stated "the implementation of external threat" and directed all national defence plans to be initiated. It has also urged its political forces to protest and "repudiate this imperialist aggression."
US authorities and the Defense Department did not publicly responded to inquiries for comment regarding the allegations.
