Today, August 7, 2025, Minister Diosdado Cabello announced that a planned attack for July 27 at the new Plaza de la Victoria, part of Plaza Venezuela, was thwarted by state security forces due to intelligence work. Experts detail the lethal action radius.
Written by: La Tabla/Data Journalism Platform August 7, 2025
During a press conference this noon, Minister of Interior Relations Diosdado Cabello confirmed the dismantling of a terrorist plot that planned to detonate 3 kg of TNT on July 27 at Caracas’ Plaza de la Victoria.
According to technical analysis based on UN models (Kingery-Bulmash), the device would have created four concentric destruction rings:
🔥 1. Critical destruction zone (0-1 meter)
– Overpressure: >2,000 kPa (equivalent to 20 cars on a human body).
– Effects:
– Disintegration of non-reinforced structures.
– 99% mortality due to barometric trauma (burst lungs/intestines) and explosive bone fractures.
– Temperatures of 1,000-2,000°C would cause immediate charring of tissues.
💥 2. Severe damage zone (1-3 meters)
– Overpressure: 300-500 kPa.
– Effects:
– Partial building collapse and destroyed vehicles.
– Third-degree burns on 90% of victims.
– Irreversible acoustic trauma (perforated eardrums) and amputations from primary shrapnel.
🚨 3. Moderate damage zone (3-10 meters)
– Overpressure: 30-100 kPa.
– Effects:
– Collapsed facades and windows turned into projectiles (glass flying at 300 km/h).
– Penetrating injuries from shrapnel, severe contusions, and temporary deafness in 60% of affected individuals.
⚠️ 4. Extended effects zone (10-50 meters)
– Overpressure: – Effects:
– Everyday objects (urban furniture, stones) turned into secondary weapons.
– Risk of fatal injuries from fragmentation within a 200 m radius if the explosive used a metallic container.
☠️ Additional Damage Mechanisms
A security expert (consulted under confidentiality) highlighted three multiplier factors:
1. Fragmentation: Cans, screws, or nails added to the explosive would increase lethality by 40%, with a range of 200 m.
2. Confinement effect: The shockwave would bounce off nearby buildings, doubling pressure in key areas (e.g., bus stops).
3. Thermal wave: Heat radiation would create secondary fires within a 15 m radius, worsening victim outcomes due to smoke and fire.
Historical Parallel
The model contrasts with the Cairo attack (2016), where 12 kg of TNT caused 29 deaths: “In Plaza de la Victoria, with high human density at 6:00 PM, 3 kg of TNT would have resulted in over a hundred victims among dead and critically injured,” noted the source.
Operational Conclusion
The actions of security agencies and their timely intervention to thwart the plan avoided:
✓ Zone 0-3 m: Immediate death of all living beings.
✓ Zone 3-50 m: Humanitarian crisis due to mass injuries in major arteries.
✓ Domino effect: Paralysis of emergency services in a 20-block radius.
-🔍 Methodology:
– Technical data based on Kingery-Bulmash models (UN Explosives Safety Manual) and simulations in urban environments.
– Comparative analysis with 32 recorded TNT attacks from 2001-2024.