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Accounts emerged of numerous blasts and the roar of low-altitude jets in the Venezuelan capital in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday. This incident has sparked allegations from Venezuela's government and requests for international scrutiny.

Caracas Accuses United States of Attack

Venezuela's incumbent regime has accused the United States of an act of "imperial aggression," stating that ex- President Donald Trump supposedly authorized military strikes against the South American state. In an public declaration, the authorities asserted that attacks had hit the capital and three other regions: Miranda state, La Guaira state, and Aragua state.

"Our only objective of this attack is to gain control of Venezuela's strategic resources, notably its oil and minerals," the statement said.

The government called on the world to denounce the strikes, which it labeled a "blatant breach of international norms" that put millions of lives in peril.

Reports of Blasts and Military Installations Hit

Eyewitnesses reported feeling at least multiple powerful blasts around 2:00 AM in the morning. People in various neighborhoods allegedly rushed into the open.

"The whole ground shook. It was horrible. We heard blasts and planes in the area," commented one local.

Smoke was observed pouring from key defense sites in Caracas: the La Carlota airbase air base and the Fuerte Tiuna base military base, where president Maduro is believed to live.

Regional Reaction

The president of neighboring Colombia, stated on social media that "At this moment they are bombing Venezuela... bombing it with missiles." He demanded an swift emergency session of the United Nations Security Council.

The Colombian government, which just became a member of the Security Council, announced it would initiate operational plans at its border with its neighbor.

Context

The reported strikes come after a extended military buildup by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan regime. Beginning in last summer, there has been a significant US military presence off the country's Caribbean coast and a number of strikes on ships accused of illegal activities.

Venezuela's government has stated "a state of emergency" and commanded all national defense protocols to be activated. It has also summoned its political forces to mobilize and "reject this foreign attack."

American officials and the Pentagon did not publicly addressed requests for clarification regarding the allegations.