Explosions and Low-Flying Jets Witnessed in Venezuela's Capital Caracas City
Accounts circulated of numerous detonations and the sound of low-altitude planes in the Venezuelan capital in the pre-dawn hours of the weekend. The incident has sparked claims from the Venezuelan authorities and requests for global intervention.
Venezuela Blames US of Aggression
Venezuela's incumbent government has accused the US of an act of "imperialist aggression," stating that ex- President Trump supposedly directed attacks against the South American state. In an public declaration, the government confirmed that strikes had impacted Caracas and three other provinces: Miranda state, La Guaira, and Aragua state.
"Our sole aim of these strikes is to gain control of Venezuela's strategic resources, in particular its oil and mineral wealth," Venezuela asserted.
Venezuelan officials urged the international community to censure the actions, which it termed a "clear infringement of international law" that put countless of lives at risk in peril.
Reports of Blasts and Military Bases Hit
Eyewitnesses reported experiencing approximately several detonations around the middle of the night local time. Citizens in different neighborhoods reportedly hurried into the streets outside.
"The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We experienced blasts and jets in the sky," commented one witness.
Plumes of smoke was observed billowing from key military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base compound, where president Maduro is believed to live.
International Response
The leader of neighboring Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated on a social platform that "At this moment they are bombing Venezuela... bombing it with projectiles." He demanded an urgent emergency session of the Security Council.
The Colombian government, which just joined the Security Council, announced it would initiate operational protocols at its frontier with Venezuela.
Preceding Events
The reported strikes come after a months-long pressure campaign by the United States against the Maduro regime. Beginning in last summer, authorities reported a major naval deployment off Venezuela's northern coast and a number of airstrikes on ships suspected of drug trafficking.
The administration has announced "a state of external disturbance" and ordered all national defence plans to be initiated. It has also called on its supporters to protest and "repudiate this foreign attack."
US authorities and the US Department of Defense have not publicly commented on requests for comment regarding the allegations.
