Viral videos showing explosions lighting up the night sky over Venezuela’s capital Caracas sparked panic early Saturday as President Nicolás Maduro declared a national state of emergency and ordered the mobilization of defense forces.
A US official told Reuters the United States carried out strikes inside Venezuela after a series of loud explosions rocked Caracas following months of escalating rhetoric by US President Donald Trump against Maduro’s government. Venezuelan authorities claimed that the attacks targeted both civilian and military facilities, an allegation that Washington has not officially confirmed.
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According to the Venezuelan government, explosions were also reported in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. In a statement, officials described the incidents as “military aggression” and said strategic locations in multiple regions had been hit, prompting emergency measures and heightened national security.
Explosions were heard across Caracas from about 2:00 a.m. local time (6:00 a.m. CET) for nearly 90 minutes, Reuters witnesses said. Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of black smoke, flashes of orange light and low-flying planes over the city. In several clips, residents can be heard gasping and reacting with fear as explosions echo in the distance.
“My love, oh no, look at that,” a woman said in one viral video as smoke billowed over the city’s skyline.
CNN reported that the first explosion occurred around 1:50 a.m. At least seven loud explosions were heard, accompanied by air sirens and helicopters overhead. Several neighborhoods experienced power outages, forcing residents into the streets amid confusion and alarm.
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“There was one explosion so loud that my window shook,” CNN correspondent Osmary Hernández said. Reuters also reported that smoke was rising near a large military base in the southern part of Caracas.
Some media, citing sources, said that the US attacks may have been aimed at Venezuelan military installations. CBS News reported that President Trump has ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela as part of an intensified campaign against the Maduro administration. The strikes come at a time of significant US military buildup in the region, including the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford and other warships in the Caribbean.
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Tensions remain high between Washington and Caracas, with Trump repeatedly calling the Maduro-led government a “narco-terrorist” regime. The US has imposed sanctions on vessels accused of carrying Venezuelan oil and stepped up operations against ships it says are involved in drug smuggling.
Trump also accused Venezuela of contributing to illegal migration to the US and claimed that criminals and prisoners were being sent across the border – claims Caracas has consistently denied.
Shortly before the explosions, the US Federal Aviation Administration had banned US commercial flights from Venezuelan airspace, citing concerns about “ongoing military activity”, the AP reported.
In response to the evolving situation, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota issued a travel advisory urging U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela. Those currently in the country have been advised to shelter in place and leave as soon as it is safe to do so. The advisory reiterated that Venezuela remains under a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning, citing risks such as illegal detention, crime, civil unrest and a lack of consular assistance. The US withdrew all diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Caracas in March 2019.
In an address to the nation, President Maduro said Venezuela would defend its sovereignty and called for national unity, even as authorities continued to assess the full extent of the damage and casualties from the overnight blasts.
