🔗 Share this article Blasts and Low-Flying Aircraft Witnessed in Venezuelan Capital Caracas Accounts circulated of numerous detonations and the noise of low-altitude jets in Caracas in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday morning. This incident has prompted claims from the Venezuelan authorities and calls for international scrutiny. Venezuela Condemns US of Military Action Venezuela's authoritarian administration has condemned the United States of an act of "imperial aggression," alleging that former President Donald Trump allegedly directed military strikes against the South American state. In an official announcement, the authorities asserted that strikes had impacted Caracas 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, in particular its crude oil and mineral wealth," the statement said. Caracas appealed to the international community to condemn the actions, which it described a "clear infringement of international norms" that endangered numerous of lives at risk in jeopardy. Accounts of Explosions and Defense Bases Targeted Locals reported hearing approximately seven detonations around the middle of the night local time. Residents in several districts reportedly ran into the streets outside. "Everything shook. This is frightening. We heard blasts and aircraft in the distance," said one witness. Black smoke was observed rising from major military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota airbase military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna army base, where leader Maduro is thought to live. International Condemnation The president of bordering Colombia, stated on a social platform that "Right now they are attacking Venezuela... bombing it with missiles." He requested an swift emergency session of the United Nations Security Council. The Colombian government, which recently joined the Security Council, announced it would activate security protocols at its shared border with its neighbor. Context These reported attacks come after a months-long campaign of pressure by the United States against the Maduro government. Since last summer, authorities reported a substantial US military deployment off the country's northern coast and a series of strikes on boats suspected of drug trafficking. Venezuela's government has stated "a state of external disturbance" and ordered all national defense plans to be initiated. It has also called on its citizens to take to the streets and "denounce this foreign attack." American officials and the Defense Department did not publicly commented on requests for clarification regarding the events.