Video: Venezuela Under Attack: Nation Accuses U.S. of Military Strikes, Declares Emergency

CARACAS, Venezuela — The government of President Nicolás Maduro declared a national emergency on Saturday after accusing the United States of carrying out military attacks on civilian and military installations across the country, sharply escalating a long-running confrontation between the two nations.

In a series of urgent statements, Venezuelan officials reported that strikes had hit targets in the capital, Caracas, as well as in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.

The government condemned what it called an act of “military aggression” by Washington, which has yet to issue any official comment on the allegations.

The reported explosions follow months of heightened tension. The United States has long accused Maduro’s administration of deep involvement in international drug trafficking—a charge the Venezuelan leader has consistently denied.

Just days before the alleged attacks, on Thursday, Maduro had publicly indicated a willingness to negotiate an anti-drug trafficking deal with the U.S., signaling a potential, though fragile, diplomatic opening.

The recent friction has included a significant U.S. military presence in the region. Since September, American forces have conducted more than twenty airstrikes in international waters near Venezuela, part of a broader strategy of applying sanctions and increasing military pressure on the socialist government.

U.S. Issues Urgent Travel Warning

In response to the unfolding crisis, the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia—which handles Venezuelan affairs—issued a stark security alert. The embassy stated it was “aware of reports of explosions in and around Venezuela’s capital, Caracas,” and forcefully reiterated its existing travel advisory.

The notice urgently advised U.S. citizens against all travel to Venezuela or its border regions, reminding the public that the country is under a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory, the State Department’s most severe warning. For Americans currently in Venezuela, the instructions were dire: shelter in place immediately and depart the country as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.

The embassy further advised maintaining multiple lines of communication with contacts outside Venezuela. U.S. diplomatic capacity within the country remains severely limited; in March 2019, the State Department withdrew all personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas and suspended operations indefinitely, citing the precarious political and security situation.

The allegations of direct military strikes, if verified, would mark a dramatic and dangerous new chapter in the fraught relationship between Washington and Caracas, moving beyond sanctions and diplomatic pressure into the realm of overt armed conflict. The international community now awaits a formal response from the United States as Venezuela grapples with the aftermath of the alleged attacks under a state of emergency.

Source: aljazeera.com

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