Venezuela explosions: Maduro declares emergency, claims US trying to seize oil & mineral resources

At least seven explosions and the sound of low-flying aircraft were heard across Caracas around 2 am local time on December 3, prompting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to declare a state of emergency and accuse the United States of carrying out an attack on the country. 

The cause of the explosions could not be independently confirmed. Venezuela’s government said the United States had struck both civilian and military installations in multiple states. The Pentagon and the White House did not respond to the claims. 

CBS News reported citing US officials that President Donald Trump had ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities, marking a sharp escalation in Washington’s campaign against the Maduro government. The reported strikes follow months of US military buildup in the region, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and other warships in the Caribbean. 

Smoke was seen rising from a hangar at a military base in Caracas, while another military installation in the capital reportedly lost power. Residents in several neighbourhoods rushed into the streets after the explosions, with people visible across different parts of the city. 

Earlier, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a “Notice to Airmen,” banning American commercial and private flights from Venezuelan airspace and over the nearby island of Curaçao. The FAA cited “safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity,” according to the Associated Press. The warning was issued shortly after 1 am on the US East Coast. 

In a statement, Maduro denounced the attacks as an attempt by the United States to seize Venezuela’s oil and mineral resources. He said he had ordered the full implementation of national defense plans and declared a “state of external disturbance,” a measure that allows the government to suspend certain civil liberties and expand the role of the armed forces. 

In a post on X (formally twitter), Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, wrote, “Right now they are bombing Caracas. Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela. They are bombing with missiles. The OAS and the UN must meet immediately.” 

The developments come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas. In recent days, the US military has been targeting alleged drug-smuggling boats in the region. On Friday, Venezuela said it was open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking. 

In a pre-recorded interview aired on December 1, Maduro said the United States was seeking to force a change of government in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through a pressure campaign that began with a large military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August. 

President Trump had for months warned that he could order strikes on Venezuelan territory. The US has also seized sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela’s coast and imposed a blockade on others, moves widely seen as efforts to tighten economic pressure on the South American nation.