Venezuela Declares State of Emergency After Caracas Blasts
Venezuela declared a state of emergency after the capital was rocked by a series of explosions in the early hours of Saturday morning, with a statement calling for full mobilization to repel “this imperialist attack.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reportedly ordered “the implementation of all national defense plans” and announced a state of emergency Saturday morning after explosions in the capital Caracas left several neighborhoods without power. Smoke was seen rising from a nearby military base and other strikes were reported to have taken place in the Venezuelan regions of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
UPDATE: US says Maduro in custody
Far from the optimistic statement released this morning by Venezuela that Maduro had signed an emergency decree, US President Donald Trump reported on Saturday morning that Maduro had been captured overnight and flown out of the country with the help of US law enforcement. Read the latest news on Breitbart News.
Original story continues below…
Venezuela blamed the incident on US airstrikes, but the US government had no comment on the matter at the time of publication. However, the Associated Press notes that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a notice to airmen an hour before the strikes began, banning pilots from Venezuelan airspace due to “flight safety risks associated with ongoing military activity.”
Members of the presidential guard stand outside the Miraflores presidential palace after explosions and low-flying planes were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
The declaration of a state of emergency gives Maduro special powers to further restrict the freedoms of Venezuelan civilians and rapidly strengthen the military. In a statement from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry seen by Breitbart News, Caracas said it “condemns and denounces” the “extremely serious military aggression carried out by the current government of the United States of America.”
The attack is an attempt to “seize Venezuela’s strategic resources” through a “colonial war,” it was claimed.
Announcing a full national mobilization, the Venezuelan government said Maduro had already signed an emergency decree to guarantee an “armed struggle…against imperialist aggression.”
