By DOMINIC GUTOMAN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – The United States (US), through its president Donald Trump, confirmed that they carried out a series of airstrikes and explosions around Caracas, Venezuela in the early hours of the morning of January 3.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in their official communique, “rejects, repudiates, and denounces” the latest US military attack, violating Articles 1 and 2 of the United Nations Charter, which stipulate the respect for sovereignty, the legal equality of States, and the prohibition of use of force.
Trump said on Truth Social that he “captured” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and that they have been flown out of Venezuela.
“The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, in an attempt to forcibly break the political independence of the nation. They will not succeed,” the official communique reads.
Venezuela has the largest oil reserve in the world, with a total of more than 300 billion barrels, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy. The US is claiming ownership of this oil, as suggested by White House deputy chief of staff.
The Venezuelan government said that the recent US aggression threatens international peace and stability, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean, putting the “lives of millions of people at serious risk.”
The Philippines-Bolivarian Venezuela Friendship Association (PBVFA) condemned the latest act of military aggression, dubbing it as a “brazen brutality of US imperialism.”
“These actions are abhorrent to humanity, representing the worst forms of oppression. These aggressions are not only unwarranted but also criminalized under international law. In stronger terms, they must be recognized as categorically unjustifiable, a blatant violation of sovereignty and human dignity,” the PBVFA said in a statement.
Former Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said that the bombing of Venezuela by the Trump administration has nothing to do with the false pretenses of promoting democracy or combating drug trafficking.
In August 2025, Trump doubled the reward for any information leading to the capture of Maduro to $50 million, whom he accused of narco-terrorism. The Venezuelan government dismissed the accusations of the US, describing it as politically-motivated and baseless.
“This is a brazen and illegal act of regime change, plain and simple. Its ultimate goal is to overthrow a government independent of US dictate and to seize control of Venezuela’s vast natural resources, particularly its massive oil reserves,” Zarate said.
The International League of Peoples’ Struggles recorded the escalation of US attacks in Venezuela since August 2025. They said that the US conducted 21 airstrikes against what are likely fishing boats and migrants, which have killed at least 83 people accused as cartel members without evidence. The group also deployed the world’s largest warship in history, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and over 15,000 military troops off the shores of Venezuela.
“The bombings over Caracas mark a dangerous escalation in trampling Venezuelan sovereignty. The time to act is now. The world cannot remain passive as the people of Venezuela suffer, nor can it allow another war of aggression to unfold, much like the genocide in Gaza,” PBVFA added.
The Venezuelan government said that they have been defending their sovereignty and right to self-determination for more than 200 years of independence.
“The attempt to impose a colonial war to destroy the republican form of government and force a “regime change”, in alliance with the fascist oligarchy, will fail like all previous attempts,” the Venezuelan government said.
It added that the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace will file complaints with the United Nations (UN) Security Council, the UN secretary-general, the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to call for the accountability of the US government.
Article 51 of the UN Charter recognizes the inherent right of the member-states for individual and collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs. The Venezuelan government stressed their right to exercise legitimate defence to protect their own people, territory, and independence.
“This is the true face of modern imperialism: the use of brute military force to install a puppet regime that will open the floodgates for foreign corporations to plunder a nation’s wealth.” Zarate said. “The people of Venezuela, and all sovereign peoples, have the right to determine their own destiny and to own their national patrimony.”
Since 2005, the US has imposed targeted sanctions on Venezuelan individuals and entities. (DAA)
