Detonations and Low-Flying Aircraft Heard in Venezuela's Capital City Caracas City
Witness testimonies emerged of numerous blasts and the sound of low-flying aircraft in Caracas in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday morning. This incident has prompted allegations from the Venezuelan leadership and requests for diplomatic scrutiny.
Caracas Condemns United States of Aggression
The incumbent regime has blamed the Washington of committing "imperial aggression," alleging that former President Donald Trump supposedly directed military strikes against the South American country. In an formal declaration, the government stated that strikes had targeted the capital and several other regions: Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua state.
"The primary goal of this attack is to seize control of our nation's strategic resources, especially its petroleum and resources," the government asserted.
Caracas called on the international community to condemn the actions, which it labeled a "flagrant violation of international norms" that put millions of lives in peril.
Reports of Explosions and Military Sites Targeted
Eyewitnesses described experiencing at least seven powerful blasts around 2:00 AM in the morning. People in several neighborhoods reportedly ran into the streets.
"Everything shook. It was terrifying. We experienced explosions and planes in the sky," said one resident.
Plumes of smoke was seen rising from key army bases in the city: the La Carlota airbase airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base army base, where leader Maduro is believed to live.
Regional Response
The president of neighboring Colombia, wrote on social media that "Right now they are bombing Caracas... attacking it with missiles." He requested an swift emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
The Colombian government, which recently joined the Security Council, announced it would initiate security measures at its shared border with its neighbor.
Preceding Events
These alleged strikes follow a prolonged military buildup by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan regime. Since August, authorities reported a major naval presence off Venezuela's Caribbean coast and a series of air strikes on boats linked to illegal activities.
Venezuela's government has announced "a state of emergency" and commanded all defense protocols to be initiated. It has also urged its citizens to protest and "denounce this external aggression."
US authorities and the Pentagon did not promptly responded to requests for a statement regarding the events.
