Venezuela has initiated a state of emergency following what President Nicolas Maduro’s administration characterizes as an act of severe military aggression by the United States against its capital. Early Saturday, Caracas was shaken by multiple explosions, with Reuters witnesses and social media footage documenting columns of black smoke and military aircraft activity over the city.
The Venezuelan government issued a formal condemnation, stating it “rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America.” The disturbances, commencing around 2:00 AM local time (0600 GMT), triggered a power outage in southern districts near a significant military installation, though the precise origins and locations remained initially unclear.
This escalation follows a pattern of heightened tensions between the two nations. U.S. President Donald Trump has consistently advocated for ground operations in Venezuela and recently acknowledged conducting strikes on Venezuelan territory targeting alleged drug trafficking operations—marking Washington’s first confirmed land operations in the country. The White House and Pentagon have declined to comment on the latest developments.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro amplified the crisis via social media, asserting “At this moment they are bombing Caracas” and urgently calling for immediate meetings of the Organization of American States and United Nations. Petro, while not disclosing his information sources, has historically opposed U.S. pressure tactics against Venezuela.
The Trump administration has significantly increased military assets in the region, deploying an aircraft carrier, warships, and advanced fighter jets to the Caribbean. Additional measures include expanded sanctions, a naval blockade of Venezuelan waters, and over two dozen strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Maduro maintains that these actions represent an attempt to orchestrate regime change to access Venezuela’s substantial oil reserves, while the U.S. justifies its operations as necessary to combat drug trafficking—claims consistently denied by Caracas.