Blasts and Low-Flying Jets Heard in Venezuelan Capital City Caracas City
Witness testimonies surfaced of multiple detonations and the sound of low-altitude planes in Caracas in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday morning. The event has sparked allegations from the Venezuelan authorities and requests for international action.
Venezuela Condemns US of Attack
Venezuela's authoritarian government has blamed the United States of committing "imperialist aggression," alleging that former President Donald Trump supposedly directed attacks against the Latin American state. In an public statement, the authorities asserted that strikes had hit Caracas and three other provinces: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua.
"The sole aim of this aggression is to take control of our nation's strategic resources, in particular its oil and resources," the government asserted.
The government called on the global community to denounce the strikes, which it described a "clear infringement of international norms" that placed countless of lives in jeopardy.
Accounts of Blasts and Defense Sites Targeted
Locals spoke of hearing roughly multiple explosions around 2 a.m. local time. People in various areas reportedly hurried into the streets.
"The earth trembled. It was terrifying. We experienced blasts and planes in the sky," said one witness.
Plumes of smoke was reported rising from key army bases in the city: the La Carlota airbase military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna army base, where president Maduro is reported to reside.
Global Response
The leader of bordering Colombia, claimed on X that "Currently they are bombing Venezuela... bombing it with rockets." He called for an urgent emergency meeting of the Security Council.
The Colombian government, which recently joined the Security Council, said it would initiate operational plans at its shared border with Venezuela.
Preceding Events
The reported attacks follow a extended pressure campaign by the United States against the Maduro administration. Beginning in August, authorities reported a significant American military presence off the country's Caribbean coast and a series of airstrikes on ships linked to drug trafficking.
The government has declared "a state of external disturbance" and directed all defense measures to be initiated. It has also urged its supporters to take to the streets and "repudiate this external act."
The White House and the Defense Department have not promptly addressed requests for a statement regarding the allegations.
