Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday accused the United States government of carrying out what he described as an “extremely grave military aggression” against Venezuelan territory, including parts of the capital Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
In a sharply worded statement released by the Bolivarian government, Maduro alleged that the purported strikes targeted both civilian and military locations. He claimed the actions constituted a “flagrant violation” of the United Nations Charter, specifically Articles 1 and 2, which enshrine state sovereignty, legal equality among nations, and the prohibition on the use of force. According to the statement, the alleged aggression threatens international peace and stability, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Maduro regime statement translated: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely grave military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan… pic.twitter.com/xWbTUdd5KU
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 3, 2026
Maduro further asserted that the alleged U.S. actions were aimed at seizing Venezuela’s strategic resources, especially oil and minerals, and at forcing political change in the country. He rejected what he described as an attempt to impose a “colonial war” and a regime-change agenda, vowing that such efforts would fail as previous ones had.
Chinese special envoy on visit to Venezuela
The escalation unfolded as Maduro received Qiu Xiaoqi, the special envoy for Latin American and Caribbean affairs of Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas. According to state television footage, the Chinese delegation was welcomed in the presence of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and Foreign Minister Yván Gil on Friday. It is currently unknown whether the Chinese delegation was in the country at the time of the US strikes.
The high-level meeting took place against the backdrop of what Caracas described as rising U.S. aggression, including the recent seizure of oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude, some reportedly bound for China. Officials said the talks reviewed more than 600 bilateral agreements underpinning the Venezuela–China economic and political partnership. Analysts suggested the discussions also focused on coordinating responses to the alleged U.S. military actions and a newly announced naval blockade.
‘Will defend with the morale of Bolivar and Miranda’: Maduro
Invoking Venezuela’s history of resistance to foreign intervention, the president referenced 19th- and early 20th-century confrontations with global powers and cited former president Cipriano Castro’s defiance during the 1902 naval blockade. Maduro said Venezuela would once again defend its independence “with the morale of Bolívar and Miranda.”
Calling for mass mobilization, the government urged social and political forces to take to the streets to repudiate what it termed “imperialist aggression.” The statement said the Bolivarian National Armed Forces had been deployed alongside civilian and police units to guarantee sovereignty and internal order.
On the diplomatic front, Caracas said it would raise formal complaints before the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary-General, as well as regional and multilateral groupings, including the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Non-Aligned Movement, seeking international condemnation of Washington.
Maduro also announced the activation of national defence plans and said he had signed a decree declaring a nationwide “state of External Commotion.” According to the statement, the measure is intended to protect civilian rights, ensure the functioning of republican institutions and prepare the country for what it described as armed resistance if required. He ordered the immediate deployment of the Command for the Integral Defence of the Nation and related defence bodies across all states and municipalities.
There was no immediate confirmation from independent sources regarding the alleged attacks, and U.S. authorities had not publicly responded to the accusations at the time of reporting.
