International Courant
The arrests come as tensions rise between Caracas and Western international locations over Venezuela’s controversial election outcomes.
Venezuela has arrested three U.S. residents, two Spaniards and a Czech nationwide over an alleged plot to destabilize the South American nation, a senior administration official mentioned.
Venezuelan Inside Minister Diosdado Cabello mentioned Saturday that the six are being held on suspicion of planning an assault on President Nicolas Maduro and his authorities.
The arrests come as tensions have risen sharply in latest weeks between Venezuela and the US, Spain and different Western international locations over controversial Venezuelan elections in late July.
Maduro, who has been in energy since 2013, was declared the winner of the election, however the nation’s opposition mentioned there had been fraud and that their candidate had defeated the long-standing president.
The election consequence sparked mass opposition protests, leaving greater than two dozen folks lifeless and almost 200 injured.
Throughout a press convention on Saturday, Cabello accused the 2 arrested Spanish nationals of getting ties to the Spanish secret service and planning the assassination of a mayor.
The pair have been arrested whereas taking images within the metropolis of Puerto Ayacucho, the minister mentioned.
Spanish media reported that the Spanish authorities denied this declare.
Cabello additionally accused three U.S. residents and a Czech citizen of involvement in “terrorist” acts, together with alleged plans to assassinate Maduro and different officers.
“These teams are attempting to grab the nation’s wealth, and we as a authorities will reply forcefully to any try at destabilization,” Cabello mentioned.
He added that about 400 weapons, imported from the US, have been seized.
A U.S. State Division spokesman advised Reuters information company that “one U.S. service member” had been detained in Venezuela and that it was conscious of unconfirmed experiences of two extra U.S. residents being held there.
However the State Division mentioned the US was not concerned in any effort to oust Maduro.
“Any allegations of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are obviously false,” the spokesman mentioned. “America continues to assist a democratic answer to the political disaster in Venezuela.”
Venezuela this week recalled its ambassador to Spain for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to the Overseas Ministry after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of main a “dictatorship.”
Venezuela was additionally indignant over Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s resolution to fulfill with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. Gonzalez went into exile in Spain final week after being threatened with arrest by Maduro’s authorities.
Caracas additionally confronted new tensions with Washington, which acknowledged Gonzalez because the winner of the July 28 election.
The US additionally imposed new sanctions on Venezuela earlier this week.
Venezuela Arrests Spanish, US, Czech Residents Over ‘Destabilization’ | Police Information
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