Detonations and Low-Altitude Aircraft Heard in Venezuelan Capital City Caracas City
Accounts emerged of several detonations and the roar of low-altitude aircraft in the Venezuelan capital in the pre-dawn hours of the weekend. The event has led to claims from the Venezuelan government and calls for diplomatic scrutiny.
Venezuela Condemns United States of Military Action
The authoritarian regime has accused the United States of committing "imperialist aggression," claiming that former President Donald Trump reportedly directed attacks against the South American nation. In an public statement, the government confirmed that strikes had impacted Caracas and several other states: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua state.
"Our primary goal of this attack is to take control of our nation's strategic resources, notably its oil and minerals," Venezuela said.
The government appealed to the global community to censure the actions, which it termed a "flagrant violation of international law" that endangered millions of lives in peril.
Accounts of Explosions and Defense Installations Hit
Eyewitnesses reported experiencing roughly seven powerful blasts around the middle of the night in the morning. Residents in various neighborhoods reportedly hurried into the streets outside.
"The earth trembled. It was frightening. We heard explosions and jets in the sky," said one resident.
Smoke was seen pouring from two defense sites in the city: the La Carlota military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna compound, where president Maduro is thought to live.
Global Response
The leader of neighboring Colombia, claimed on a social platform that "At this moment they are attacking Caracas... bombing it with rockets." He demanded an immediate emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
The Colombian government, which just became a member of the Security Council, said it would initiate defense measures at its border with its neighbor.
Background
The reported strikes are preceded by a months-long pressure campaign by the US against the Maduro regime. Since last summer, authorities reported a substantial American military deployment off Venezuela's Caribbean coast and a series of strikes on boats suspected of narco-trafficking.
Venezuela's administration has declared "the implementation of emergency" and ordered all national defense protocols to be activated. It has also urged its political forces to take to the streets and "repudiate this imperialist aggression."
The White House and the Defense Department have not immediately commented on requests for comment regarding the allegations.
