#Explosions, loud noises and low-flying aircraft have been heard in the #Venezuelan capital of #Caracas,
amid reports that Donald Trump had ordered strikes against the South American country.
In the early hours of Saturday the president of neighbouring Colombia, #Gustavo #Petro, claimed on social media that Venezuela had come under attack.
“Right now they are bombing Caracas … bombing it with missiles,” Petro wrote on X,
calling for an immediate emergency session of the UN security council.
Soon after CBS News reported that Trump had had ordered the attacks
- including on military facilities.
At least seven explosions were heard about 2am local time
and people in various neighbourhoods rushed to the street, the Associated Press reported.
“The whole ground shook.
This is horrible.
We heard explosions and planes in the distance,”
said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke pouring from two key military installations in Caracas:
the #La #Carlota military airfield at the heart of the city
and the #Fuerte #Tiuna military base where Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, #Nicolás #Maduro, has long been thought to live.
The explosions come after a five-month US pressure campaign against Maduro,
which many analysts believe is designed to topple the Venezuelan leader.
Since August, Donald Trump has ordered a massive military buildup off Venezuela’s northern coast
and conducted a series of deadly airstrikes on supposed “narco boats”.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/03/caracas-explosions-venezuela-maduro-latest-news-updates-live?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other