Welcome to this live blog on the US attack on Venezuela. This overview provides updates on the operation in the South American country, the capture of president Maduro and European reactions.
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12:34 We’re closing the live updates. Thank you for reading!
12:12 European Commission European Commission is very cautious in its signals. Maduro not legitimate, but EU defends peaceful transition. Does not support nor condemn US action.
Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas: “I have spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our Ambassador in Caracas. The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela. The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint. The safety of EU citizens in the country is our top priority.”
11:23 Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s vice-president, has demanded a sign of life from President Maduro and his wife during a televised address. According to her, it is completely unclear where he is or how he is doing.
11:05 The Netherlands has a large population in the Caribbean and close ties with islands near Venezuela. It is therefore taking a very cautious approach in its diplomatic communication. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, David van Weel, responded with the following statement:
“The situation in Caracas is still unclear. We are closely monitoring developments and are in contact with our embassy in Venezuela, the Ministry of Defence and the countries within the Kingdom. Our primary concern is the safety of Dutch nationals in Venezuela and of the Kingdom.”
10:43 Dutch airline KLM is currently operating no flights to Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Maarten, Georgetown (Guyana), Bridgetown and Barbados. The airline says the airspace has been closed.
10:27 President Trump said on his social media platform that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured by US forces and flown out of the country.
10:15 The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised travellers in Venezuela to follow instructions from local authorities after explosions were reported in Caracas.
09:31 There have been no formal reactions from Europe so far to the attacks on targets in Venezuela. In South America, Colombia has responded, condemning the strikes and calling on the United Nations to take action.
09:20 According to CBS News, the United States had planned to launch the attacks earlier, but they were delayed due to strikes against IS in Nigeria.
09:06 The Venezuelan government has declared a state of emergency across the entire country and has condemned the attacks.
08:46 The FAA has banned US aircraft from flying in Venezuelan airspace via a NOTAM. This restriction does not apply to Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire, where flights are still scheduled.
08:35 The United States has begun strikes on targets in Caracas. Explosions were reported at around 2 a.m. local time, while several Chinook helicopters were seen flying low over the city. It is still unclear where the helicopters were heading. The explosions appear to have occurred near military bases and warehouses.
