Buenos Aires - Embattled Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro
claimed on Wednesday that his government has foiled a planned attack
on him and other key officials.
Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday said former
soldiers and police had plotted to kill Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores
and the president of the pro-governmental constituent assembly,
Diosdado Cabello.
Rodriguez said the plotters had planned to release jailed ex-General
Raul Isaias Baduel from prison and declare him president, the El
Universal newspaper reported.
Rodriguez identified the governments of Colombia and Chile as the
masterminds behind the alleged coup attempt.
Maduro himself spoke of "a power-obsessed minority planning violence
and war."
Maduro has been in a months-long stand-off with self-declared interim
president Juan Guaido and has repeatedly spoken of alleged plans for
attacks or the overthrow of his government, mostly without providing
any concrete proof.
VIDEO | Presidente (E) de la República, @jguaido, frustró intento de secuestro de su equipo de parte de grupo civil no identificado con armas largas. pic.twitter.com/6WA2t1fK5W
— Centro de Comunicación Nacional (@Presidencia_VE) June 26, 2019
Maduro escaped an actual attempt on his life last year, when drones
carrying explosives went off in front of him as he spoke at a
National Guard ceremony in Caracas. The president was unharmed, but
seven National Guard soldiers were injured.
Earlier on Wednesday, Guaido accused Maduro's government of trying to
kidnap a part of his team.
A group of armed people on motorcycles and wearing civilian clothes
stopped team members who were on their way to meetings, Guaido said
at a press conference.
They threatened to arrest the team members and take them to the
military secret service headquarters, he added.
The members were then released after Guaido intervened, according to
a video posted on the interim presidency's Twitter account.
"Violence and persecution are the only answer that the regime has,"
the opposition leader said.
Guaido has been trying to oust Maduro since January, when he declared
himself interim president. Maduro accuses the opposition leader, who
has the backing of dozens of countries, of plotting a coup with US
support.
Several of Guaido's collaborators have been arrested, but the
opposition leader has remained free so far.