Several intense explosions have reportedly rocked Caracas early Saturday, with a CNN team reporting that parts of the Venezuelan capital have been cut off from the electricity grid.
The network reports that the initial explosion occurred at approximately 1.50 a.m. local time.
Following the blasts, power was lost in a number of neighbourhoods, and aircraft could be heard taking off.
The cause of the explosions remains unclear, and there has been no official confirmation from authorities on whether the blasts were linked to military activity, air operations or any external involvement.
Two plumes of smoke billowed into the night sky among flickering city lights in a video that CNN was able to get and verify. One plume had an orange glow at its base before a flash and a dull booming sound could be heard elsewhere.
Explosions were also heard in Higuerote, a coastal city in Miranda state, and La Guaira state, north of Caracas, along the nation’s coast, according to Venezuelan news sources Efecto Cocuyo and Tal Cual Digital.
The explosions occurred amid growing tensions between the United States and Venezuela, as President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of presiding over what he has described as a “narco-terrorist” government. The US has also imposed sanctions on vessels it claims are involved in transporting Venezuelan oil.
Simultaneously, the US military has intensified operations against Venezuelan vessels in the area, claiming they are involved in the smuggling of drugs and narcotics. Trump has demanded that Maduro resign and accused Venezuela of doing “terrible things” against the United States.
Additionally, Trump has claimed that “hundreds of thousands of people, millions of people, into our open border” due to the country’s alleged involvement in illegal migration into the United States. More than any other nation, they sent their criminals, inmates, drug traffickers, and mentally ill and inept individuals into our nation,” he had stated.
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