Blasts and Low-Flying Aircraft Heard in Venezuelan Capital Caracas

Witness testimonies surfaced of numerous blasts and the sound of low-flying jets in the Venezuelan capital in the early hours of Saturday morning. The situation has sparked allegations from the Venezuelan leadership and calls for global intervention.

Venezuela Condemns Washington of Attack

Venezuela's incumbent regime has accused the Washington of what it calls "foreign aggression," claiming that ex- President Trump allegedly ordered attacks against the Latin American state. In an public declaration, the authorities confirmed that strikes had targeted the capital and several other provinces: Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua state.

"The primary goal of this attack is to seize control of our nation's key assets, notably its petroleum and resources," Venezuela declared.

Caracas urged the world to denounce the strikes, which it labeled a "flagrant violation of international law" that placed countless of lives at risk in danger.

Accounts of Explosions and Military Installations Hit

Eyewitnesses reported hearing roughly seven detonations around the middle of the night local time. People in various districts reportedly rushed into the open.

"Everything shook. This is frightening. We experienced blasts and jets in the sky," commented one resident.

Plumes of smoke was reported rising from key military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota airbase military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna military base, where president Nicolás Maduro is reported to reside.

Global Response

The president of bordering Colombia, wrote on a social platform that "Currently they are bombing Caracas... bombing it with projectiles." He demanded an swift emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

The Colombian government, which recently became a member of the UNSC, announced it would initiate defense plans at its frontier with Venezuela.

Background

The alleged strikes follow a months-long military buildup by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan government. Since August, there has been a significant naval presence off the country's Caribbean coast and a series of airstrikes on ships linked to drug trafficking.

Venezuela's government has announced "a state of emergency" and commanded all national defense plans to be activated. It has also urged its political forces to take to the streets and "repudiate this imperialist attack."

American officials and the Pentagon have not immediately commented on requests for clarification regarding the reports.