“It was a brilliant operation, actually,” Mr Trump told the New York Times after eyewitnesses in Venezuela reported a series of explosions. Smoke rises at La Carlota airport after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech during a military ceremony in Fuerte Tiuna, Caracas on November 25th, 2025. The explosions come after a five-month US pressure campaign against Maduro, which many analysts believe is designed to topple the Venezuelan leader. The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, denounced the US’s “criminal attack” and claimed the region was being brutally assaulted.

Source: The Irish Times January 03, 2026 14:09 UTC