The blasts were heard near the southern area of the city, close to a major military base, where power outages were reported.
A CNN team said it witnessed several explosions, the first occurring at about 1:50 am local time. “One was so strong, my window was shaking after it,” CNN en Español correspondent Osmary Hernández said.
Venezuela’s government accused the United States of launching attacks on civilian and military installations in Caracas and in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, describing the incidents as “military aggression”. Washington has not commented on the allegations yet.
In an official statement, authorities said the alleged attacks were aimed at destabilising the country and seizing its oil and mineral resources, vowing that such efforts “will not succeed”. President Nicolás Maduro declared a nationwide state of emergency.
The explosions come after months of heightened tensions between Caracas and Washington. The US has accused Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, allegations he has repeatedly denied. On Thursday, Maduro said he was open to negotiations with the US to cooperate on combating drug trafficking.
U.S. PresidentDonald Trump has previously warned that Washington could take new action against alleged drug networks linked to Venezuela, saying land strikes could begin “soon”.
In October, Trump said he had authorised the CIA to operate inside Venezuela to curb what the US describes as illegal flows of drugs and migrants.
The US has also opposed Maduro’s claimed victory in Venezuela’s 2024 election and has increased sanctions and military pressure on Caracas, including more than 20 air operations reported in waters near Venezuela since September, according to Venezuelan officials.
