🔗 Share this article Explosions and Low-Flying Aircraft Heard in Venezuela's Capital Caracas City Witness testimonies surfaced of multiple blasts and the roar of low-altitude aircraft in Caracas in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday. This situation has sparked allegations from the Venezuelan authorities and requests for international scrutiny. Caracas Blames Washington of Military Action Venezuela's authoritarian government has condemned the Washington of committing "foreign aggression," stating that former President Donald Trump reportedly ordered strikes against the South American state. In an formal declaration, the government confirmed that attacks had hit Caracas and three other regions: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua state. "Our only objective of this attack is to gain control of our nation's strategic resources, notably its petroleum and resources," the statement asserted. Caracas appealed to the international community to condemn the operations, which it described a "blatant breach of international norms" that placed countless of lives in jeopardy. Accounts of Blasts and Defense Sites Targeted Eyewitnesses described hearing roughly seven explosions around 2 a.m. in the morning. Residents in different districts allegedly ran into the streets. "The whole ground shook. It was frightening. We heard blasts and jets in the distance," stated one witness. Black smoke was seen rising from key military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota airbase airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna military base, where leader Maduro is reported to have a residence. Global Condemnation The leader of neighboring Colombia, wrote on X that "Right now they are striking Venezuela... bombing it with missiles." He requested an swift emergency meeting of the Security Council. Colombia, which just joined the UNSC, said it would activate security protocols at its shared border with Venezuela. Preceding Events The alleged strikes follow a extended pressure campaign by the United States against the Maduro government. Beginning in last summer, authorities reported a substantial naval buildup off the country's northern coast and a series of air strikes on boats suspected of narco-trafficking. Venezuela's government has declared "the implementation of external threat" and commanded all national defence measures to be activated. It has also urged its supporters to mobilize and "repudiate this external attack." US authorities and the US Department of Defense have not immediately addressed requests for comment regarding the reports.