Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
Caracas: Venezuela accused the United States of hitting residential areas in a wave of strikes early Saturday, and announced a major deployment of military resources.
The "invading" US forces "have desecrated our soil, going so far as to strike, using missiles and rockets fired from their combat helicopters, residential areas populated by civilians," Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said in a video statement shared on social media.
He also said the South American country would launch a "massive deployment of all land, air, naval, riverine and missile capabilities... for comprehensive defense."