🔗 Share this article Explosions and Low-Altitude Jets Reported in Venezuelan Capital City Caracas City Witness testimonies circulated of multiple explosions and the roar of low-flying aircraft in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday. The incident has prompted allegations from the Venezuelan leadership and calls for diplomatic action. Venezuela Accuses United States of Attack The incumbent government has accused the United States of an act of "imperial aggression," claiming that ex- President Donald Trump supposedly ordered attacks against the Latin American country. In an official announcement, the government asserted that attacks had targeted Caracas and several other states: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua. "The primary goal of this attack is to take control of Venezuela's natural resources, notably its petroleum and mineral wealth," Venezuela asserted. Venezuelan officials called on the global community to denounce the operations, which it described a "flagrant violation of international law" that put millions of civilians in danger. Accounts of Blasts and Defense Sites Hit Locals reported hearing roughly seven powerful blasts around the middle of the night local time. People in different districts reportedly ran into the streets outside. "The whole ground shook. It was horrible. We heard blasts and aircraft in the sky," said one local. Smoke was seen rising from major military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna compound, where president Nicolás Maduro is believed to reside. International Response The leader of bordering Colombia, stated on social media that "At this moment they are attacking Caracas... attacking it with projectiles." He demanded an immediate emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Colombia, which recently became a member of the Security Council, stated it would activate operational plans at its frontier with its neighbor. Context These alleged strikes come after a months-long military buildup by the United States against the Maduro administration. Beginning in last summer, there has been a substantial American military buildup off the country's northern coast and a series of air strikes on boats linked to drug trafficking. Venezuela's administration has declared "the implementation of external threat" and ordered all national defense plans to be activated. It has also urged its supporters to take to the streets and "denounce this imperialist attack." American officials and the Pentagon have not publicly commented on requests for comment regarding the allegations.