Venezuela accuses US of plotting against President Maduro, Washington rejects allegations as “categorically false”

The crisis between Venezuela and several countries of the international community is taking a new turn following the statements made on Saturday, September 14 by Caracas, which accuses the United States of being linked to a plot targeting the country’s government.

Venezuelan authorities announced that they had arrested three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech in connection with the alleged plot, and also reported the seizure of some 400 rifles from the United States. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello spoke at a press conference of a plan to “generate violence” et “destabilize” the country.

According to him, President Nicolas Maduro, whose re-election on July 28 is contested by the opposition and part of the international community, was the target of this alleged plot, along with other executive officials.

Mr Cabello pointed the finger at 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 they are carrying out an operation to try to attack our country.”he said, adding that the detainees were in the process of confessing.

Deterioration of relations with Spain

The more than 400 rifles seized were intended “to terrorist acts here in Venezuela, terrorism encouraged by political sectors”he said. “We even know that the American government is linked to this operation.”

“To claim that there is US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro is categorically false.”American diplomacy immediately reacted through the voice of a spokesperson for the State Department, declaring that it had been informed of the “detention” by Caracas of a “American military” and evoking “unconfirmed reports of detention of two other US nationals”.

“The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela”the spokesperson wrote in an email.

Diplomatic relations between Caracas and Washington are execrable and those with Madrid have deteriorated significantly since Thursday following statements by the Spanish Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, who described Venezuela as a “dictatorship”The remarks coincided with the reception by the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, of the Venezuelan opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who arrived in Spain on Sunday after fleeing Venezuela, where he was the subject of an arrest warrant.

US sanctions against Caracas

Spain, like all other member states of the European Union (EU), is demanding the full publication of the minutes issued by the polling stations following the presidential election, which the Venezuelan authorities have not done, saying they were victims of computer hacking.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner of the election, with 52% of the vote. But the opposition claims, based on the minutes provided by its scrutineers, that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia obtained more than 60% of the votes. In the absence of complete results, EU countries have so far refused to recognize a winner.

The United States announced sanctions on Thursday against sixteen of Mr. Maduro’s associates for “hinder” to the conduct of the presidential election. Caracas immediately rejected “with the greatest firmness” these measures. On Friday, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino assured that the armed forces – one of the essential cogs of power – were not « corruptibles » and did not let themselves be “intimidated by the imperial scourge” American.