The Venezuelan government has said it has prevented an attack by alleged “mercenaries” from Colombia. Eight people were killed and two others arrested, the president of the pro-government Constituent Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, said yesterday in Caracas. The group had planned „terrorist attacks“ to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The group tried to reach the northern coastal state of La Guaira by speedboat, said Interior Minister Nestor Reverol. There she was intercepted by the army and special police forces. Cabello accused the United States of having planned the attack with Colombia.
Colombia denies any involvement
The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the allegation as an „unsubstantiated attempt“ to „involve the Colombian government in a speculative conspiracy“. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said the incident had been “staged” by the government as a pretext for further persecution of opposition figures.
Venezuela and Colombia had put their diplomatic relations on hold last year. Colombia’s government under President Ivan Duque described Venezuela’s controversial left-wing nationalist leader Maduro as a “dictator”.
