The Venezuelan government says the United States has carried out a “very serious and grave military aggression” against multiple parts of the country.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the government said the US launched attacks on the capital, Caracas, as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.
President Nicolás Maduro signed a state of emergency and ordered all national defense plans to be implemented “at the appropriate time and under the appropriate circumstances,” according to the statement carried by CNN.
Earlier in the day, multiple explosions were reported in Caracas and other locations, while the sound of low-flying aircraft were heard over the capital.
Smoke was seen rising from the hangar of a military base, while another military installation in Caracas lost power. Residents in multiple neighborhoods rushed into the streets of the capital city.
Local media outlets reported similar explosions in La Guaira state, north of Caracas and in Higuerote, a coastal city in Miranda state.
The blasts come after months of tension between Venezuela and the United States. President Donald Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking, an allegation strongly dismissed by Caracas.
On Thursday, Maduro said he was open to negotiating a deal with the US to combat drug trafficking. The US has carried out more than 20 airstrikes in the sea near Venezuela since September as part of what Washington called an anti-drug campaign.
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