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In the early morning hours, Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, experienced at least seven explosions accompanied by the sound of low-flying aircraft.
The cause of these explosions, which commenced around 1:50 am on Saturday (5:50 pm AEDT), remains unknown.
CNNE reporter Osmary Hernandez described the intensity, noting, “One blast was so powerful that it shook my window.”
Residents from different parts of the city hurried outside, with some observing the events from afar.
“The entire ground was vibrating. It’s terrifying. We could hear explosions and planes from a distance,” shared Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker, her voice filled with fear.
She was walking briskly with two relatives, returning from a birthday party.
“We felt like the air was hitting us.”
Venezuelan state television did not interrupt its programming and aired a report on Venezuelan music and art.
Venezuela’s government, the Pentagon and the White House have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The blasts come as the US military has been targeting, in recent days, alleged drug-smuggling boats. On Friday, Venezuela said it was open to negotiating an agreement with the US to combat drug trafficking.
The South American country’s President Nicolás Maduro also said in a pre-taped interview aired on Thursday that the US wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the monthslong pressure campaign that began with a massive military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August.
US President Donald Trump for months had threatened that he could soon order strikes on targets on Venezuelan land. The US has also seized sanctioned oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, and Trump ordered a blockade of others in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter chokehold on the South American country’s economy.
– Reported with Associated Press and CNN