In the relative chaos currently reigning in Venezuela, a few hours before the inauguration ceremony of President Nicolás Maduro, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello indicated that 125 “mercenaries” of 25 different nationalities had been arrested.
These people are, in his words, suspected of “terrorist acts” or “destabilizing actions” led by the opposition. But there is a Swiss among them.
Diosdado Cabello did not give further details, according to the international press, but indicated the countries of origin of the 125 people concerned. In addition to Venezuela, these would be nationals of Colombia, the United States, Peru, Spain, Italy, Uruguay, Switzerland or even Lebanon, the Netherlands, Israel and ‘Argentina, it was listed.
Swiss? One, in any case, actually. “The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of the arrest of a Swiss citizen in Venezuela. The Swiss Embassy in Caracas is in contact with the competent local authorities,” indicates matin.ch Valentin Clivaz, deputy media head of the FDFA.
We currently do not know concretely what this Swiss person is accused of or what his fate could be in the days to come.
Minister Cabello accused the 125 “mercenaries” of being financed by drug trafficking and “Colombian narcoparamilitarism”. As well as being controlled by the Venezuelan opposition and wanting to “plunge Venezuela into chaos”.
“El Pais” notes, however, that such accusations “are usual within the Venezuelan government, which daily accuses its detractors of conspiring against President Nicolás Maduro.”
In any case, tension is rising in Venezuela before the inauguration ceremony scheduled for Friday in Caracas during which Mr. Maduro, in power since 2013, must take the oath for a third term (2025-2031).
Security forces are deployed massively in the streets of the capital and the opposition is calling for demonstrations on Thursday, on the eve of the event for which its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who claims victory, currently in the United States, says he wants return to Venezuela.
Nicolas Maduro’s victory in the July 28 presidential election was validated by the Supreme Court after he was proclaimed winner with 52% of the votes by the National Electoral Council. The minutes of the polling stations were, however, not published, as required by law, officially due to computer hacking, considered not credible by many observers. The opposition, which published the minutes provided by its scrutineers, assures that its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia obtained more than 67% of the votes.
