Powerful explosions were heard in Caracas early on Saturday, accompanied by sounds resembling missile or aircraft flyovers, according to an AFP journalist.
The events occurred shortly after US President Donald Trump suggested possible military strikes against Venezuela and declared Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s days were “numbered.” Trump recently deployed a fleet of warships to the Caribbean.
Following the explosions, President Maduro declared a state of emergency and called for national mobilisation, condemning what he characterised as a “severe military aggression” by the United States.
Residents of La Guaira reported hearing explosions near Caracas’ airport and port, AFP reported. Similar accounts came from Higuerote, about 100 kilometres east of the capital.
Locals rushed to windows and terraces in many neighbourhoods trying to understand what was happening, though the locations of several blasts remain unclear.
Electricity outages have been reported in parts of Caracas. Some explosions reportedly shook windows for kilometres around, with impacts appearing to originate in the city’s southern and eastern areas, including possibly near Fuerte Tiuna, a major military complex.
Gustavo Petro, president of neighbouring Colombia, stated on social media platform X that Caracas was under missile bombardment. He urged an emergency meeting of the Organisation of American States and the United Nations.
Donald Trump has accused Nicolás Maduro of leading a large drug-trafficking network, an allegation Maduro denies. Maduro claims Washington’s actions are aimed at overthrowing him to seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves - the largest in the world.
