Venezuelan President, wife captured after strikes on Caracas, claims Trump

Washington: US President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife, has been “captured” and “flown out” of the country, which came under large-scale attack early Saturday.

Taking to his social media platform ‘Truth Social’, Trump said, “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.”

He mentioned that this operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement, and further details will follow during a news conference at 11 a.m. (local time) at Mar-a-Lago.

Several large explosions were heard early Saturday in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

Venezuela, in its first official statement since loud explosions were heard in the capital Caracas, strongly criticised the Donald Trump-led government of the United States, accusing it of carrying out what it described as “extremely serious military aggression”.

Soon after, US media reported that Washington officials had confirmed strikes against Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, which also manages affairs in Venezuela, released a statement advising Americans against travelling to Venezuela or its borders.

“US Embassy Bogota is aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas, Venezuela. The US Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, warns US citizens not to travel to Venezuela. US citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place,” the Embassy said in a statement.

The highest Travel Advisory level — Level 4 — has been announced. Level 4 states, “Do Not Travel – due to severe risks to Americans, including wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.”

All US citizens in Venezuela have been strongly advised to depart immediately.

The Embassy further mentioned that in March 2019, the US Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from the US Embassy in Caracas and suspended operations. All consular services, routine and emergency, remain suspended. The US government has no ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Venezuela, according to the official statement.

In a sharp statement condemning Washington, the Venezuelan government alleged that the attack appeared to be an attempt “to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, attempting to forcibly break the nation’s political independence”.

The reaction came after residents of Caracas reported hearing loud explosions and sounds resembling aircraft flyovers early on Saturday.

According to reports, the incidents occurred around 2:00 a.m. local time, triggering panic across several parts of the Venezuelan capital.

Media reports indicated that at least seven loud explosions shook Caracas, forcing residents to rush out onto the streets in fear.

Venezuelan President Maduro has declared a national emergency following the explosions.

The sudden blasts led to widespread anxiety, with people reportedly fleeing their homes amid confusion and uncertainty.

Videos circulating on social media show plumes of smoke rising from several locations in the capital city.

According to reports, brief power outages were also recorded in some areas of Caracas, including at a military base in the city, following the explosions.

Partial disruptions to telecommunication services were reported in the capital city following sounds of explosions.

IANS