Venezuela explosions: Maduro accuses US of attack on civilians, military sites — what’s the conflict about

The Venezuelan government has accused United States of attacking its civilians and military installations after a series of loud explosions and the sound of aircraft flying low overhead in multiple cities in the Caribbean country on Saturday. CBS News reported the US government officials confirmed Trump ordered the strikes, although there's been no official statement from the government.At least seven blasts were heard around 2 am local time, according to various news agencies. CNN reported windows shaking after one particularly strong explosion. Some parts of the city also experienced power cuts soon after.Videos circulating online showed plumes of smoke rising into the night sky over city lights, flashes of light, and dull booming sounds.This comes days after US president Donald Trump deployed a navy task force to the Caribbean and hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged drug boats. For weeks, Trump had warned that US ground strikes against drug cartels in the region would begin soon, with Monday appearing to mark the first such instance. In recent weeks, the United States has sharply increased military pressure on Venezuela. US forces have been targeting boats they claim are linked to drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. Since September, dozens of such strikes have taken place, killing more than 100 people, according to figures released by the US military.Earlier this week, President Trump said US forces had hit and destroyed a docking area used by what he described as Venezuelan drug boats. He did not say where the strike happened or whether it was carried out by the military or the CIA. If confirmed, it would mark the first known US strike on Venezuelan land during the current campaign. Alongside military action, the US has tightened economic pressure. It has imposed new sanctions, informally restricted Venezuelan airspace, and seized oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude. US warships have been deployed close to Venezuela’s coast, including the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier.Venezuelan Maduro has strongly rejected US accusations that he leads or protects drug cartels. He has accused Washington of using the war on drugs as a cover to destabilise his government and gain access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.Maduro neither confirmed nor denied the reported strike on the docking area earlier this week.However, on Friday, he softened his stance, saying he was open to cooperation with Washington on combating drug trafficking, “Wherever they want and whenever they want,” he said, when asked by reporters about dialogue with Washington.Trump has blamed Maduro for the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants in the US, part of a wider exodus driven by economic collapse and political repression. He has also accused Venezuela of playing a role in drug trafficking, especially cocaine, though some say the country is mainly a transit route rather than a major producer.Maduro, a former bus driver who rose under the late Hugo Chavez, has been in power since 2013. His rule has been marked by international sanctions, disputed elections and growing isolation from Western governments, even as allies like Russia, China, and Iran continue to back him.Saturday's alleged attack by the US raises fears that a long-simmering standoff between Washington and Caracas may be entering a more dangerous phase.