"Historic landmarks in Venezuela's coastal province of La Guaira suffered severe damage from shockwaves generated during US military strikes in the early hours of January 3, affecting cultural sites in Caracas and nearby coastal areas. Footage filmed on Wednesday shows extensive damage inside Jose Maria Espana National Public Library, where broken windows, collapsed roofing and debris line reading rooms and stairways as workers clear rubble. Residents walking through the city streets can also be seen. "A library that has been here for more than 40 years, that has been educating young professionals, children who live their lives here," said Jose Luis Urbano, Operational Manager of the Culture Cabinet of the La Guaira Governor's Office. The library, declared municipal heritage and widely regarded as a cultural symbol of the historic city, forms part of La Guaira's colonial-era quarter, which includes buildings dating back more than four centuries. "We almost disappeared as a historic quarter, as the historic city of La Guaira, but here we are standing firm, and we will continue and fight until the end," expressed Luis Urbano. "But here we are fighting, we remain standing. A space that will soon be recovered to continue providing culture and knowledge," he added. The manager also pointed to nearby heritage sites, including the Guipuzcoana House and areas linked to the family of independence leader Simon Bolívar, warning that cultural spaces have repeatedly suffered during modern conflicts. "It is not unusual; we saw it in Iraq, we saw it in Syria. Everything that is culture, everything that is our roots, they want to make disappear," he remarked. Venezuela's Minister of Popular Power for Culture, Ernesto Villegas, together with regional and municipal authorities, inspected the affected buildings and announced that they will prepare technical reports and comprehensive rehabilitation plans to preserve these historic and cultural spaces. Local authorities said recovery efforts would focus on preserving both the physical structures and the cultural legacy they represent for the community."