emirates7 - Trump has accused Venezuela of flooding the US with drugs, and his administration has for months been bombing boats originating in South America that it alleges were carrying drugs
The US has confirmed that it "successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro", on Saturday.
Venezuela said that "extremely serious military aggression" had taken place after explosions rocked the capital Caracas in the early hours of Saturday following a months-long pressure campaign by President Donald Trump.
The blasts, accompanied by the sound of planes flying over the city, were heard around 2am (0600 GMT) Saturday. Explosions were also heard in La Guaira, north of the capital, where Caracas's airport and port are located.
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country," Trump said in a Truth Social post.
The US has not made such a direct intervention in Latin American since the invasion of Panama in 1989 to depose military leader Manuel Noriega.
The US has accused Maduro of running a "narco-state" and rigging an election. The Venezuelan leader, who succeeded Hugo Chavez to take power in 2013, has said Washington wants to take control of its oil reserves, the largest in the world.
Blasts rock Venezuela
The Venezuelan government said attacks also took place in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, prompting Maduro to declare a national emergency and mobilise defence forces.
"Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and people," the government of leftist President Nicolas Maduro said.
The Venezuelan leader also declared a state of emergency.
The president of neighboring Colombia called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations over the strikes.
"Alerting the whole world that they have attacked Venezuela," leftist leader Gustavo Petro wrote on social media platform X.
The US has confirmed that it "successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro", on Saturday.
Venezuela said that "extremely serious military aggression" had taken place after explosions rocked the capital Caracas in the early hours of Saturday following a months-long pressure campaign by President Donald Trump.
The blasts, accompanied by the sound of planes flying over the city, were heard around 2am (0600 GMT) Saturday. Explosions were also heard in La Guaira, north of the capital, where Caracas's airport and port are located.
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country," Trump said in a Truth Social post.
The US has not made such a direct intervention in Latin American since the invasion of Panama in 1989 to depose military leader Manuel Noriega.
The US has accused Maduro of running a "narco-state" and rigging an election. The Venezuelan leader, who succeeded Hugo Chavez to take power in 2013, has said Washington wants to take control of its oil reserves, the largest in the world.
Blasts rock Venezuela
The Venezuelan government said attacks also took place in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, prompting Maduro to declare a national emergency and mobilise defence forces.
"Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and people," the government of leftist President Nicolas Maduro said.
The Venezuelan leader also declared a state of emergency.
The president of neighboring Colombia called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations over the strikes.
"Alerting the whole world that they have attacked Venezuela," leftist leader Gustavo Petro wrote on social media platform X.
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