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Explosions Rock Caracas as Venezuela Accuses US of Military Aggression
Venezuela’s government has condemned what it calls a “very serious grave military aggression” by teh United States, following reports of explosions in Caracas and other locations across the country early Saturday. A CNN team on the ground witnessed several explosions and heard the sounds of aircraft, with some areas of the capital city experiencing power outages.
The Venezuelan government alleges the US carried out attacks on Caracas, and also the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. President Nicolás Maduro has reportedly signed a state of emergency and ordered the implementation of national defense plans. the White House,State Department,Pentagon,and US Southern Command have been contacted for comment,with the Pentagon and Southern Command deferring inquiries to the White House,which has yet to respond.
The first explosion observed by the CNN team occurred around 1:50 AM local time (0:50 AM ET). “One was so strong, my window was shaking after it,” reported CNNE correspondent Osmary Hernandez. Following the blasts, journalists in Caracas reported hearing aircraft overhead. The origin of the explosions remains undetermined.
A video verified by CNN depicts two plumes of smoke ascending into the night sky, illuminated by city lights.an orange glow is visible at the base of one plume, followed by a flash and a booming sound in another location.Local news outlets, including Efecto Cocuyo and Tal Cual Digital, reported explosions were also detected in La Guaira state, along Venezuela’s coast, and in Higuerote, a city in Miranda state.
The escalating tensions prompted a swift response from Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who called for an immediate meeting of the United Nations. “They are bombing with missiles,” Petro wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “the OAS (Organization of American States) and the UN (United Nations) must meet immediately.” However, Petro did not specify the source of his data regarding the alleged missile strikes or identify who “they” refers to.
These events unfold against a backdrop of increasingly assertive rhetoric from former US President Donald Trump regarding Venezuela. Trump has repeatedly warned of impending action against alleged drug trafficking networks within the country, suggesting strikes on land were imminent. His administration previously engaged in a pressure campaign against president Maduro,including the destruction of over 30 boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean under the guise of a counter-narcotics operation. Additionally, Trump authorized a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers destined for and departing from Venezuela.
Intelligence sources previously reported to CNN that the CIA conducted a drone strike in December targeting a port facility on Venezuela’s coast – marking the first known US attack on a target within the nation. Trump, when questioned about the operation on December 29, declined to confirm whether the US military or the CIA was responsible, only stating that the United States had taken out a “big facility” as part of its pressure campaign. During a Christmas Eve call with troops aboard the USS Gerald Ford, deployed to the Caribbean sea, Trump described the region as “engaging” and indicated the US would be “going after the land.” In october, Trump revealed he had authorized the CIA to operate within Venezuela to combat the flow of illegal migrants and drugs.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
