Column of smoke seen, loud noises heard in Venezuelan capital

Jan 3 (Reuters) – Airplanes and loud noises could be heard and a column of smoke was visible in Caracas early on Saturday, Reuters witnesses said, while power was out in the south of the Venezuelan capital, near a major military base.

The cause and precise locations of the disturbances were not immediately clear. Videos circulating on social media showed multiple explosions across Caracas. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.

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The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. has made a major military buildup in the region, including an aircraft carrier, warships and advanced fighter jets stationed in the Caribbean.

Trump has announced a “blockade” of Venezuelan oil, expanded sanctions and staged more than two dozen strikes on vessels the U.S. alleges were involved in trafficking drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Last week, Trump said the United States had “hit” an area in Venezuela where boats are loaded with drugs, marking the first known time Washington has carried out land operations in Venezuela since the pressure campaign began.

He did not say whether those strikes were carried out by the CIA or not. Other media outlets have reported that the spy agency was behind them.

Trump has accused the South American country of flooding the U.S. with drugs, and his administration has for months been bombing boats originating in South America that it alleges were carrying drugs. Many nations have condemned the attacks as extrajudicial killings and Maduro’s government has always denied any involvement with drug trafficking.

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