Venezuela’s Minister of Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, made a public call for calm on Saturday and urged the population not to “make things easy for the invading enemy”, following the events that took place during the early morning hours, when detonations and explosions were reported in Caracas and nearby states.
The statements came amid escalating tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that his country executed a large-scale attack against Venezuela.
Diosdado Cabello breaks silence after attacks
#ENVIDEO | Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, condemned the U.S. attack against Venezuela, called for calm among the people and asked for confidence in the country’s leadership. pic.twitter.com/zsbv80JrUT
– teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) January 3, 2026
In a message broadcast by the state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Cabello – surrounded by military personnel – described the action attributed to the United States as a “criminal and terrorist attack”.
The official asked citizens to remain calm and avoid impulsive reactions.
The president, who is also considered a key figure of Chavismo, said: “Be calm, nobody should fall into despair, nobody should fall into facilitating things to the invading enemy, to the terrorist enemy that cowardly attacked us”.
Call for confidence in political-military leadership
The White House is confirming U.S. military operations in Venezuela tonight. Let us be clear: these strikes are illegal. The President does not have the authority to declare war or undertake large-scale military operations without Congress. Congress must act to rein him in…. pic.twitter.com/KsbxS6TbSp
– Rep. Melanie Stansbury (@Rep_Stansbury) January 3, 2026
During his speech, Diosdado Cabello urged the population to trust in the leadership of the political and military high command, stressing that the authorities are in charge of the situation.
“Trust in the leadership and in the leadership of the political and military high command,” he said, without offering operational details or an official balance of damage or casualties.
The minister maintained that, according to his assessment, the United States “partially” achieved its objective, but remarked that the country did not fall into chaos.
“They didn’t get the people to go on a rampage,” he said, while insisting that remaining calm is key to not aggravating the scenario.
Criticism of international organizations
Diosdado Cabello also strongly questioned the international organizations, which he asked to pronounce themselves on what happened.
In a critical tone, he asked if these organizations will make public their position on what he described as an aggression with consequences for civilians.
“Are they going to make public their complicity in the face of the invading attack, in the face of the murder of civilians, bombs falling on buildings, on places inhabited by civilians?” he pointed out.
So far, no verifiable and independent reports confirming casualty figures or specific structural damage have been released.
There have also been no reports of on-site inspections by multilateral agencies.
Context of the statements
Diosdado Cabello’s words come after US President Donald Trump published a message on Truth Social, where he affirmed that the US “successfully” carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela.
In the same message he assured that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and flown out of the country.
Trump also announced a press conference to elaborate on the details.
In response, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez declared that the whereabouts of Maduro and the first lady are unknown and demanded proof of life from Washington, increasing uncertainty about the institutional situation.
While reports of detonations heard during the early hours of the morning continue and additional statements are expected from both parties, Diosdado Cabello’s call for calm underlines the climate of tension and uncertainty in the country.
QuéOnnda will continue to report based on verifiable data and official updates as they become available.
