US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States has carried out a “major attack” on Venezuela. He added that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured and taken out of the country along with his wife.
Videos circulating online showed thick columns of smoke rising above the city, while the southern part of the capital was left without power.
Trump: We captured Maduro
Trump reported that the United States had carried out “extensive military strikes against Venezuela” and had “captured its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, and his wife.”
Trump announced it in a statement on his social network Truth Social, the full text of which is transmitted below.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who along with his wife was captured and taken out of the country. This operation was carried out in cooperation with US law enforcement authorities. More details to follow. Today at 11 a.m. a press conference will be held at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he wrote.
Targets: Major military bases
Witnesses report that the explosions rang out almost simultaneously in several locations. The main targets are allegedly La Carlotaan air base in the very center of the city, and Fuerte Tiunathe main military base in Caracas.
The Venezuelan government urgently issued a statement in which it “rejects and condemns American military aggression” and calls on the entire population to mobilization in order to “defeat this aggression”.
Colombia: “They are bombing Caracas, this is aggression”
The president of neighboring Colombia, Gustavo Petroconfirmed the dramatic news via platform X (formerly Twitter). “They’re bombing Caracas right now… they’re hitting it with missiles,” wrote Petro.
He immediately requested an international reaction: “Colombia has been a member of the United Nations Security Council since yesterday and an emergency session must be called immediately. Establish the international legality of the aggression against Venezuela.”
Context: Trump’s war against the “narco-regime”
The escalation comes at a time when the United States, under the administration of Donald Trump, has significantly increased its military presence in the region, deploying aircraft carriers and warships in the Caribbean Sea.
Trump recently announced a “blockade” of Venezuelan oil and authorized the CIA to operate inside Venezuela, justifying it by fighting drug trafficking and illegal migration. Washington claims that Nicolas Maduro is an illegitimate president directly involved in drug cartels.
CBS News reports that Trump administration officials are “aware of reports of explosions”, but there is still no official confirmation of the direct involvement of US forces in this morning’s strikes, although Trump confirmed an attack on a Venezuelan port last week.
We remind you, Nicolas Maduro just a few days ago, in a New Year’s interview, he declared that he was open to negotiations with the US, warning at the same time that Washington wanted to take control of Venezuelan oil by force.
(TYPE/Source: N1/Photo: Caracas)
