Blasts and Low-Altitude Aircraft Reported in Venezuelan Capital City Caracas City
Reports circulated of several explosions and the noise of low-flying aircraft in the Venezuelan capital in the pre-dawn hours of the weekend. The event has prompted allegations from the Venezuelan authorities and calls for international intervention.
Venezuela Accuses US of Attack
The socialist regime has accused the United States of what it calls "foreign aggression," stating that ex- President Trump allegedly directed military strikes against the South American nation. In an official announcement, the government asserted that strikes had impacted the capital and several other states: Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua.
"Our primary goal of this aggression is to take control of our nation's natural resources, especially its crude oil and mineral wealth," the government said.
Caracas urged the world to denounce the actions, which it labeled a "clear infringement of global law" that put countless of lives in danger.
Accounts of Explosions and Military Sites Hit
Eyewitnesses reported hearing at least several powerful blasts around 2 a.m. local time. People in different districts reportedly rushed into the streets outside.
"The whole ground shook. It was terrifying. We heard explosions and jets in the area," said one local.
Plumes of smoke was seen billowing from major military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna army base, where president Nicolás Maduro is believed to live.
International Response
The president of bordering Colombia, Gustavo Petro, wrote on social media that "At this moment they are striking Venezuela... attacking it with projectiles." He requested an swift emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
The Colombian government, which just became a member of the UNSC, said it would activate security plans at its border with Venezuela.
Context
These alleged attacks come after a months-long campaign of pressure by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan administration. Beginning in last summer, there has been a substantial American military presence off Venezuela's Caribbean coast and a number of strikes on ships suspected of narco-trafficking.
Venezuela's government has declared "a state of external threat" and ordered all defense protocols to be initiated. It has also urged its political forces to mobilize and "repudiate this imperialist attack."
The White House and the US Department of Defense did not publicly addressed inquiries for a statement regarding the events.
