Newsletters
Cuba, Colombia and Iran condemned reported U.S. military strikes on Venezuela on Saturday as explosions rocked the capital Caracas and President Nicolas Maduro declared a state of emergency, accusing Washington of "extremely serious military aggression."
U.S. media outlets including Fox News and CBS News reported that unnamed Trump administration officials confirmed U.S. forces were involved in the strikes. CBS said an attack was ordered by President Donald Trump.
The White House and Pentagon have not officially commented on the alleged attacks. The United States has not confirmed it is behind any action in Venezuela.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel demanded "an urgent reaction from the international community against the criminal U.S. attack on Venezuela."
"The region is being brutally assaulted," Diaz-Canel said on X, calling it "state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America."
Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed concern over reports of explosions and unusual aerial activity in Venezuela and called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations.
"Alerting the whole world that they have attacked Venezuela," Petro wrote on X.
He rejected "any unilateral military action that would exacerbate the situation or put civilian populations at risk."
"The Government of the Republic of Colombia observes with deep concern the reports of explosions and unusual aerial activity recorded in recent hours in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as the consequent escalation of tension in the region," Petro stated.
"Colombia reaffirms its unrestricted commitment to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, in particular the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, the prohibition of the use or threat of use of force, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes," he added.
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes, calling on all governments and international organizations to do the same.
"The American military attack on Venezuela is a clear violation of the basic principles of the United Nations Charter and the fundamental rules of international law," it said in a statement published by Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim on Telegram.
Iran urged the international community to take "immediate action" to stop the "illegal" escalation against Venezuela, arguing it is a blatant violation of Venezuela's national "sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Iran has been close to Venezuela for years, in part due to their shared enmity of the U.S..
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said the country "rejects, condemns, and denounces the extremely grave military aggression."
The Venezuelan government said in a statement that it "strongly rejects" and "condemns" attacks by the U.S. government on civilian and military locations in the capital and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
The statement said the actions constitute a clear violation of Articles 1 and 2 of the United Nations Charter, particularly regarding respect for state sovereignty, legal equality and prohibition of the use of force.
The government claimed the attacks aimed to seize the country's strategic resources, particularly oil and minerals, and forcibly eliminate the country's political independence.
President Maduro signed and ordered the implementation of a decree declaring a "State of External Disturbance" throughout the national territory.
The statement said Maduro ordered the activation of all national defense plans and the immediate deployment of military units and defense divisions in states and municipalities nationwide.
Venezuela reserved its right to legitimate self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter to protect its people, territory and independence, the statement added.
The blasts, accompanied by the sound of planes flying over the city, were heard around 2:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) Saturday, AFP reported.
Explosions were also heard in La Guaira, north of the capital, where Caracas's airport and port are located.
"From here, we can hear explosions near Fort Tiuna," Emmanuel Parabavis told AFP, referring to a large military base in the capital. "Right now, you can hear something that sounds like a machine gun. There are a lot of detonations and gunfire."
Francis Pena, a 29-year-old communications professional in eastern Caracas, told AFP his girlfriend woke him, saying, "They're bombing."
"I can't see the explosions, but I (think I) hear the planes. We're starting to prepare a bag with the most important things at home—passport, cards, cash, candles, a change of clothes, canned food," Pena said.
Power was cut in certain parts of the city, according to residents.
Senator Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned against U.S. military involvement in Venezuela.
"We have no vital national interests in Venezuela to justify war," Schatz posted on X.
"We should have learned not to stumble into another stupid adventure by now. And he's not even bothering to tell the American public what the hell is going on," Schatz said, appearing to criticize Trump.
A source familiar told CNN that the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee was not notified ahead of time of any potential military action in Venezuela.
Set as preferred source
2 min read
