January 1, Venezuela Explosions Spark State of Emergency

Wyatt’s Take

• Explosions hit Caracas, causing state of emergency.
• Maduro claims U.S. aggression behind the attacks.
• U.S. says Maduro now in custody, raising new questions.

Venezuela’s capital was rocked before dawn Saturday by explosions, leaving entire neighborhoods without power. President Nicolás Maduro ordered national defense plans and declared a state of emergency, pointing the finger at the United States for military strikes.

Thick smoke rose over a military base, and similar attacks happened in nearby states. The Venezuelan government called for full mobilization to resist what it described as an “imperialist attack.”

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Maduro was captured overnight and taken out of the country with American help.

The U.S. government made no other official comment on the Venezuelan accusations. However, the Federal Aviation Administration had warned pilots to avoid Venezuelan airspace just an hour before violence began.

The new state of emergency gives the government sweeping powers over everyday people, and officials vowed an “armed struggle… against imperialist aggression.” Venezuela’s foreign ministry accused the U.S. of a “grave military aggression” and trying to grab the nation’s resources through a “colonial war.”

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Wyatt Matters

When foreign powers fight over resources, it’s working families who end up paying the price. America’s heartland knows the risk of promises from distant leaders and marches to war in the name of power.