🔗 Share this article Explosions and Low-Flying Aircraft Heard in Venezuelan Capital City Caracas City Reports emerged of several blasts and the noise of low-flying planes in the Venezuelan capital in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday morning. The event has sparked accusations from the Venezuelan authorities and demands for international scrutiny. Caracas Blames Washington of Aggression Venezuela's incumbent administration has blamed the Washington of an act of "foreign aggression," alleging that ex- President Trump allegedly directed attacks against the South American state. In an official statement, the authorities stated that strikes had targeted Caracas and three other regions: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua. "Our sole aim of this aggression is to seize control of our nation's strategic resources, especially its oil and minerals," Venezuela declared. Caracas urged the global community to censure the actions, which it labeled a "blatant breach of global law" that put countless of civilians in jeopardy. Reports of Explosions and Defense Installations Hit Residents spoke of experiencing at least multiple explosions around the middle of the night in the morning. Residents in various neighborhoods allegedly rushed into the streets. "Everything shook. It was terrifying. We heard blasts and planes in the sky," stated one local. Black smoke was observed billowing from major army bases in Caracas: the La Carlota military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base military base, where president Maduro is thought to have a residence. Regional Reaction The president of bordering Colombia, wrote on a social platform that "At this moment they are striking Caracas... bombing it with missiles." He requested an swift emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The Colombian government, which recently became a member of the Security Council, announced it would activate defense protocols at its border with Venezuela. Context The alleged strikes come after a extended campaign of pressure by the United States against the Maduro administration. Beginning in last summer, authorities reported a significant American military deployment off Venezuela's Caribbean coast and a series of air strikes on ships accused of drug trafficking. The administration has announced "a state of external threat" and commanded all national defence protocols to be activated. It has also urged its supporters to protest and "repudiate this imperialist aggression." The White House and the Pentagon have not immediately addressed requests for a statement regarding the allegations.