Venezuela accuses US of targeting military, civilian infrastructure after multiple blasts in Caracas
Venezuela accuses US of targeting military, civilian infrastructure after multiple blasts in Caracas
Caracas:
Venezuela on Saturday accused the United States (US) of attacking its military installations and civilian infrastructure after at least seven explosions were heard at different locations in the capital city of Caracas. Reports have also gone viral that some low-flying aircraft were also spotted in the Venezuelan airspace.
However, the Trump administration and the Pentagon have not responded to the Venezuelan claims.
"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the grave military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and its population in the civilian and military areas of Caracas, the capital of the Republic, and the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guairá," the Venezuelan government in a statement.
"This act constitutes a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, especially Articles 1 and 2, which enshrine respect for sovereignty, the legal equality of states, and the prohibition of the use of force. Such aggression threatens international peace and stability, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean, and places the lives of millions of people at grave risk," it added.
Meanwhile, uideos have also gone viral on social media, showing the multiple explosions that rocked Caracas in wee hours of the day. "The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes," The Associated Press (AP) quoted 21-year-old office worker Carmen Hidalgo as saying.
Soaring tensions between Venezuela, US
The explosions were heard at a time when tensions are at an all-time high between the US and Venezuela, with President Donald Trump accusing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of running a 'nacro-terrorist' government. Trump has also imposed sanctions on vessels that allegedly transport Venezuelan oil.
The US military has also been targeting Venezuelan boats in the region, accusing them of smuggling drugs and narcotics. Trump has said Maduro must relinquish power, accusing Venezuela of doing 'terrible things' to the US.
"Hundreds of thousands of people, millions of people, into our open border. They sent their criminals, they sent their prisoners, they sent their drug dealers, they sent their mentally insane and incompetent people into our country, more than any other country," Trump had said.
Maduro's accusation and warning to Trump
With Trump calling for a regime change in Venezuela, Maduro has claimed that the US wants Venezuelan oil. Last month, he had said that 'Trump has gone mad', asserting that he would not "let anybody go through who shouldn't be going through".
However, on Friday, his government said that Venezuela is ready to negotiate with the US in order to tackle drug trafficking in the region. "The US government knows, because we’ve told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready," Maduro said.
