Detonations and Low-Flying Aircraft Witnessed in Venezuela's Capital Caracas City
Reports surfaced of several detonations and the noise of low-flying jets in the Venezuelan capital in the small hours of Saturday morning. The situation has led to allegations from the Venezuelan government and requests for diplomatic action.
Caracas Condemns US of Aggression
The authoritarian administration has blamed the Washington of committing "imperial aggression," claiming that ex- President Trump supposedly directed strikes against the Latin American country. In an formal announcement, the government asserted that strikes had impacted the capital and three other states: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua state.
"Our only objective of these strikes is to seize control of Venezuela's natural resources, in particular its oil and mineral wealth," the statement said.
The government urged the world to censure the operations, which it termed a "flagrant violation of global law" that placed countless of lives in jeopardy.
Reports of Explosions and Defense Installations Targeted
Residents spoke of experiencing at least seven detonations around 2:00 AM in the morning. People in several areas allegedly ran into the open.
"Everything shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and aircraft in the distance," said one witness.
Plumes of smoke was observed pouring from key army bases in the city: the La Carlota airbase airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna compound, where president Maduro is reported to reside.
Regional Reaction
The president of bordering Colombia, claimed on social media that "Right now they are bombing Venezuela... attacking it with rockets." He demanded an immediate meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
The Colombian government, which just joined the Security Council, announced it would activate operational protocols at its frontier with its neighbor.
Context
The reported strikes come after a months-long campaign of pressure by the United States against the Venezuelan government. Beginning in last summer, authorities reported a significant US military presence off Venezuela's northern coast and a number of airstrikes on ships linked to drug trafficking.
Venezuela's administration has stated "a state of external threat" and directed all defense protocols to be implemented. It has also urged its political forces to take to the streets and "denounce this external act."
US authorities and the Defense Department did not promptly responded to requests for a statement regarding the events.
