Venezuela: Venezuelan authorities have detained six foreign nationals, including three US citizens, two Spaniards, and one Czech, accusing them of plotting to destabilize the country and assassinate President Nicolás Maduro and top officials.
The arrests were declared by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who also disclosed the seizure of hundreds of weapons tied to the alleged conspiracy.
The alleged plot comes on the heels of rising friction between Venezuela and Western nations. Just two days prior, the US imposed sanctions on 16 Venezuelan officials closely linked to Maduro following his disputed re-election in July. While the Venezuelan government claims the detained Spaniards are connected to Spain’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI), Madrid has denied this, stating that the individuals are not assosiated with its intelligence services.
Cabello directly accused the CIA of orchestrating the operation, alleging that the Spanish CNI was also involved. Cabello claimed the detained foreigners were planning to recruit mercenaries from Europe to carry out targeted assassinations against Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, and other key government figures. However, the US State Department has firmly rejected the accusations, calling any suggestion of US involvement “categorically false” and emphasizing Washington’s support for a peaceful, democratic resolution to Venezuela’s political crisis.
The arrests have further fired tensions between Venezuela, the US, and Spain. Spain has applied to request more information from Venezuela and asked for consular access for the detained citizens. The Spanish government is also dealing with heightened diplomatic strain suceeding remarks from a Spanish minister calling the Venezuelan regime a dictatorship which led Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yván Gil to summon the Spanish ambassador.
The backdrop of the plot is Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, in which Maduro was declared the winner by the government-aligned National Electoral Council (CNE). Opposition groups claim that their candidate, Edmundo González, actually won the election, a claim bolstered by data the CNE has yet to refute with detailed voting tallies.
As the situation unfolds, both international diplomacy and Venezuela’s internal political dispute remain on high alert.
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