Explosions and Low-Altitude Planes Witnessed in Venezuelan Capital Caracas City
Accounts circulated of several explosions and the sound of low-flying jets in the Venezuelan capital in the pre-dawn hours of the weekend. The event has led to allegations from Venezuela's leadership and demands for global intervention.
Caracas Accuses US of Military Action
The socialist administration has blamed the Washington of committing "imperial aggression," alleging that ex- President Trump supposedly authorized attacks against the Latin American country. In an official announcement, the government stated that strikes had targeted Caracas and three other states: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua state.
"Our sole aim of this attack is to seize control of our nation's natural resources, in particular its crude oil and resources," the statement said.
Venezuelan officials called on the world to censure the strikes, which it labeled a "clear infringement of international norms" that endangered millions of lives in jeopardy.
Reports of Explosions and Defense Sites Targeted
Eyewitnesses reported experiencing roughly seven powerful blasts around the middle of the night local time. People in various areas reportedly rushed into the open.
"The earth trembled. It was horrible. We heard blasts and planes in the sky," commented one local.
Plumes of smoke was observed rising from key defense sites in the city: the La Carlota airbase airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna military base, where leader Nicolás Maduro is thought to reside.
Global Condemnation
The leader of bordering Colombia, Gustavo Petro, wrote on social media that "At this moment they are attacking Venezuela... bombing it with rockets." He demanded an swift meeting of the UN Security Council.
Colombia, which recently became a member of the Security Council, said it would initiate defense protocols at its shared border with its neighbor.
Preceding Events
These reported strikes are preceded by a months-long campaign of pressure by the US against the Maduro regime. Beginning in last summer, authorities reported a major American military deployment off the country's northern coast and a number of strikes on boats suspected of narco-trafficking.
Venezuela's government has declared "the implementation of external threat" and commanded all national defense measures to be initiated. It has also urged its supporters to protest and "reject this external attack."
The White House and the US Department of Defense did not immediately commented on inquiries for a statement regarding the allegations.
