One month on from the U.S. military strikes that battered Venezuela, reconstruction crews have begun repairing destroyed homes and public infrastructure that was hit in the attacks which shocked the world.
The U.S. government carried out the bombings on Caracas and other localities in Venezuela in the early hours of Jan. 3, and forcibly captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife before placing them into custody in New York. The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities, according to the official tally, while the nature of the attacks received widespread condemnation from the international community and sparked serious concerns worldwide.
The strikes hit residential neighborhoods such as La Boyera in eastern Caracas, where residents recalled being jolted awake by powerful nighttime explosions.
"It was right under that tree that the missile exploded. The blast blew away all the fencing, and then another explosion happened. All the bamboo from here to there caught fire, and that tree, you can see what's left of it now," said Elena Berti, a local resident.
As the Venezuelan government has deployed crews to repair homes and public facilities, residents say the sight of reconstruction crews has brought a sense of relief and a glimmer of hope following the incident.
"We have seen swift and effective responses, from on-site inspection to damage assessment and repair. All the work has been handled with great professionalism. Honestly, after the terror of that night, seeing the damaged houses being restored step by step now makes me feel like life is starting over again," said another resident, Monica Cabrera.
Rebuilding work continues in Venezuela one month on from US strikes
Rebuilding work continues in Venezuela one month on from US strikes
Rebuilding work continues in Venezuela one month on from US strikes
