Detonations and Low-Altitude Jets Heard in Venezuela's Capital Caracas City
Witness testimonies circulated of multiple detonations and the sound of low-altitude aircraft in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday morning. The incident has prompted accusations from Venezuela's government and calls for global action.
Caracas Blames US of Attack
The socialist regime has condemned the US of committing "imperial aggression," claiming that ex- President Trump allegedly directed military strikes against the Latin American country. In an public statement, the authorities asserted that attacks had hit Caracas and three other provinces: Miranda state, La Guaira state, and Aragua state.
"The sole aim of these strikes is to gain control of Venezuela's key assets, notably its petroleum and minerals," the government asserted.
Caracas urged the global community to censure the operations, which it labeled a "flagrant violation of international norms" that put countless of lives in peril.
Accounts of Blasts and Defense Bases Targeted
Residents spoke of feeling approximately seven explosions around 2 a.m. in the morning. People in different districts allegedly rushed into the streets.
"Everything shook. It was horrible. We heard blasts and jets in the sky," commented one witness.
Black smoke was reported pouring from major defense sites in the city: the La Carlota airbase airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base compound, where leader Maduro is thought to have a residence.
Regional Condemnation
The president of neighboring Colombia, Gustavo Petro, wrote on X that "At this moment they are attacking Caracas... attacking it with rockets." He called for an swift emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
The Colombian government, which recently joined the UNSC, announced it would initiate operational protocols at its frontier with its neighbor.
Background
The reported strikes are preceded by a extended pressure campaign by the US against the Maduro government. Since last summer, authorities reported a major American military presence off the country's northern coast and a number of air strikes on vessels accused of illegal activities.
The government has declared "a state of external threat" and ordered all national defence plans to be activated. It has also summoned its political forces to mobilize and "repudiate this imperialist act."
US authorities and the Pentagon did not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the events.
