On the night of January 3, a series of explosions occurred in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Several media outlets reported aircraft flying over the city and power outages in some areas. Authorities described the incidents as US military aggression. This was reported by podrobno.uzreports.
Associated Press and Reuters, citing witnesses, wrote that people gathered on the city’s streets amid the explosions, while videos showing blasts and helicopter flights were spreading on social media. According to Reuters, the southern part of Caracas, where a major military base is located, was left without electricity.
Witnesses say the sounds of explosions around the Fuerte Tiuna military base lasted a long time and were very powerful. The New York Times cited media reports that the country’s top military leadership and government members are based in that area.
In a statement released by Venezuela’s Ministry of Information, it was said the strikes targeted “civilian and military areas” in Caracas, as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. Officials stressed that the attack aimed to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources—especially oil and minerals—and to undermine the country’s political independence.
The government called on “all social and political forces” in the country to unite against the US “imperialist attack.”
CBS News, citing sources in US official circles, reported that the order to strike Venezuelan territory was allegedly given by President Donald Trump. The White House declined to comment officially.
The New York Times reported that a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the explosions but did not comment on their causes. According to CBS News, the decision on the operation was made several days earlier; a strike option was also considered during Christmas, but due to other military operations and weather conditions, it was postponed.
A few hours before the incident, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said in a TV interview that he was ready to cooperate with the United States. He called the American people a “friend” of Venezuela and said cooperation was possible in fighting drug trafficking and in the oil sector.
After the US strikes, Nicolás Maduro’s whereabouts are unknown. Local media report that part of his entourage is in a safe location. It is also said that Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López was at Tiuna air base during the attack; there is no official information on his condition yet.
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