Witness testimonies surfaced of multiple explosions and the sound of low-altitude jets in the Venezuelan capital in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday. This event has sparked allegations from the Venezuelan leadership and demands for diplomatic intervention.
The incumbent government has accused the US of what it calls "imperialist aggression," alleging that ex- President Trump allegedly authorized military strikes against the Latin American nation. In an formal announcement, the government stated that attacks had hit the capital and several other regions: Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua state.
"The only objective of this attack is to gain control of Venezuela's key assets, in particular its petroleum and resources," the statement asserted.
Caracas called on the international community to censure the strikes, which it termed a "flagrant violation of international law" that put countless of lives at risk in danger.
Eyewitnesses described hearing approximately seven detonations around the middle of the night in the morning. Residents in various neighborhoods reportedly rushed into the streets.
"The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes in the sky," said one witness.
Smoke was observed rising from key military installations in the city: the La Carlota airbase military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base army base, where leader Nicolás Maduro is thought to live.
The leader of neighboring Colombia, wrote on X that "At this moment they are attacking Caracas... attacking it with missiles." He requested an urgent emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Colombia, which recently joined the UNSC, stated it would initiate security measures at its border with its neighbor.
These reported attacks follow a extended campaign of pressure by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan government. Beginning in last summer, authorities reported a significant US military presence off the country's Caribbean coast and a number of airstrikes on boats accused of narco-trafficking.
Venezuela's government has declared "a state of emergency" and commanded all national defense measures to be initiated. It has also urged its citizens to protest and "repudiate this external act."
The White House and the US Department of Defense did not immediately responded to requests for clarification regarding the allegations.
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