Venezuela accused the United States of attacking sites in Caracas and neighboring states, declared a nationwide external emergency and announced diplomatic and defense measures.
January 3, 2026
The Venezuelan government on Friday accused the United States of carrying out military attacks against civilian and military locations in Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, denouncing the actions as a serious violation of international law and announcing nationwide emergency measures.
In an official communiqué issued in Caracas, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela said it “rejects, repudiates and denounces before the international community the grave military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and population.” The statement said the attacks violate Articles 1 and 2 of the United Nations Charter, which establish respect for sovereignty, the legal equality of states and the prohibition of the use of force.
According to the government, the strikes targeted both civilian and military sites in the capital and surrounding regions, threatening peace and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean and placing “the lives of millions of people” at risk.
#ÚLTIMOMINUTO | Comunicado oficial del Gobierno de la República Bolivariana de #Venezuela🇻🇪
→ https://t.co/6TKzbr8LsY pic.twitter.com/B9pGIbdD4k
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) January 3, 2026
The communiqué asserted that the objective of the operation is to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly oil and minerals, and to undermine the country’s political independence. It described the incident as part of an attempt to impose a foreign-driven “regime change,” which the government said would fail.
The government called on all social and political forces to activate mobilization plans and reject the imperialist attack. It said the Bolivarian National Armed Forces are deployed alongside civilian and police structures to guarantee sovereignty and public order.
At the diplomatic level, Venezuela announced it will submit formal complaints to the United Nations Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), seeking condemnation and accountability from the United States.
President Nicolás Maduro ordered the activation of national defense plans in accordance with the Constitution, the Organic Law on States of Exception and the Organic Law of National Security. The communiqué said Maduro signed a decree declaring a nationwide state of “External Commotion” to protect the population’s rights, ensure the functioning of state institutions and prepare for armed defense.
Authorities also ordered the immediate deployment of the Comprehensive Defense Command of the Nation and corresponding defense bodies across all states and municipalities. Citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, Venezuela said it reserves the right to exercise legitimate self-defense to protect its people, territory and independence.
The statement concluded with a call for international solidarity and quoted former president Hugo Chávez: “In the face of any circumstance of new difficulties, of whatever size they may be, the response of all patriots is unity, struggle, battle and victory.
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