Venezuelan authorities have arrested three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech, accused of being involved in an alleged plot, aimed at "destabilizing" of the country, the government announced yesterday, also noting the seizure of about 400 rifles from the US, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
Interior Minister Diosdado Caballo spoke at a press conference yesterday about an alleged plan to “spawn violence” and to “destabilize“ the country.
According to him, President Nicolás Maduro, whose re-election on July 28 is contested by the opposition and part of the international community, was the target of this alleged plan, along with other officials of the executive branch.
„Two Spanish citizens were recently arrested in Puerto Ayacucho”, Cabayo said, adding that an “American citizen” is also behind bars. He subsequently reported the arrest of two other Americans, as well as a Czech.
Cabeyo linked the alleged plot to Spanish and US intelligence services, as well as opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
„They have contacted French mercenaries, they have contacted Eastern European mercenaries and are conducting an operation to try to attack our country,” he said, adding that those detained are now making confessions.
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The more than 400 rifles seized were intended "for acts of terrorism here in Venezuela, terrorism promoted by political forces," the interior minister said. “We also know that the American government is connected to this operation.“
The arrests took place amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and the United States, as well as with Spain, due to the contested re-election of President Maduro.
Diplomatic relations with Spain have deteriorated significantly since Thursday following comments by Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles, who described Venezuela as a "dictatorship".
Her words coincided with a meeting between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who arrived in Spain on Sunday. He fled Venezuela, where there was a warrant for his arrest.
Spain, like all other member states of the European Union, insists on the publication of the full protocols of the polling stations completed at the end of the presidential elections. Venezuelan authorities did not publish them with the excuse that they were victims of computer hacking.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner of the vote with 52% of the vote. But the opposition assures, based on the protocols provided by its advocates, that Edmundo González Urrutia received more than 60% of the votes.
In the absence of complete results, the EU countries refuse to recognize the winner of the elections.
The United States, however, decided to recognize Gonzalez Urrutia as president and announced on Thursday sanctions against sixteen people close to Maduro for “obstructing” of the production of the presidential elections.
Caracas immediately rejected these sanctions "with the greatest firmness". On Friday, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino assured that the armed forces – which are one of the main cogs of power, are not "bribable" and do not allow themselves to be "intimidated by the imperial scourge" of the USA.