Venezuela arrests US and Spanish citizens over ‘plot’
Venezuelan authorities have announced the arrest of three U.S. citizens, two Spaniards, and one Czech national, who are allegedly involved in a plot to destabilize the country. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reported that numerous weapons were also confiscated, and that the detainees were planning to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking officials.
This development follows recent sanctions imposed by Washington on 16 Venezuelan officials closely associated with President Maduro, in response to his contentious election victory.
The Venezuelan government claims that the Spaniards are connected to Spain’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI). However, Spanish government sources have clarified to local media that the two individuals are not affiliated with the intelligence agency.
During a press conference on Saturday, Cabello stated, “The CIA is spearheading this operation, which is not surprising. The National Intelligence Centre of Spain has always kept a low profile, aware of the CIA’s involvement in this region.”
He further revealed that the detainees had mentioned a group of mercenaries they were attempting to recruit for the explicit purpose of assassinating President Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, himself, and other key figures leading their party and revolution.
The US has rejected the accusations.
“Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false,” according to the State Department, who says Washington “continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela”.
The arrests come amid a feud between the Maduro government and the US and Spain.
Cabello said the Spaniards were detained in Puerto Ayacucho, south of the capital Caracas.
Spanish authorities have requested more information from Venezuela, with the Spanish embassy requesting access to those detained.
“They contacted French mercenaries, they contacted mercenaries from eastern Europe and they are in an operation to try to attack our country,” Cabello said, adding that 400 firearms were confiscated in the operation.
On Friday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil summoned Spain’s ambassador in Caracas to protest at a minister’s description of the Venezuelan government as a “dictatorship”, after days of mounting bilateral tensions.
On Thursday, the US Treasury said it was targeting “key officials involved in Maduro’s fraudulent and illegitimate claims of victory and his brutal crackdown on free expression following the election”.
Maduro was declared the winner of July’s presidential election by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), which is closely aligned with the government.
But the CNE has not published any detailed voting tallies supporting a Maduro victory. Data published by the opposition suggests its candidate, Edmundo González, won instead.
