The US has bombed the Venezuelan parliament building, the Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said. At least 11 sites across the country were also attacked, he said.
This is as footage from Caracas has captured an explosion rocking the Cuartel de la Montana, the resting place of Hugo Chavez, who served as president of Venezuela between 2002 and his death in 2013.
US media reports that President Donald Trump held a national security meeting at Mar-a-Lago before striking Venezuela
However, the White House has not yet confirmed it ordered the strikes on the Latin American country.
The US Embassy in Caracas this morning issued a Level 4 notice to American citizens, saying: “Do not travel to Venezuela for any reason.”
In his first public response to the US action, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has imposed a state of emergency, this according to the nation’s foreign minister, Yvan Gil. “The entire country must activate to defeat this imperialist aggression,” he said.
“The objective of this attack is none other than to seize the strategic resources of Venezuela, particularly its oil and minerals… They will not succeed,” Gil insisted.
He also condemed the “serious military aggression” perpetrated against it by the US.
The American strikes targeted civilian and military areas in Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, he said.
The minister said the actions violate the UN charter, infringe upon Venezuela’s sovereignty, endanger millions of people and threaten stability in the region.
The US banned its commercial airlines from operating in Venezuelan airspace over what the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) described as “ongoing military activity,” shortly before a series of explosions were reported in Caracas, according to the Associated Press.
At least seven explosions were heard early Saturday morning in Venezuela’s capital, followed by low-flying aircraft, according to the Associated Press. The southern part of the city, located near a major military base, was reportedly left without electricity.
