AA / Bogota, Colombia / Laura Gamba
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced Tuesday that authorities had arrested seven “mercenaries”, including two American citizens, accused of preparing terrorist acts in the country.
“Today we arrested seven foreign mercenaries, including two high-profile mercenaries from the United States,” Maduro said in a televised address. “They planned to commit terrorist acts against the peace of Venezuela,” he added.
Those arrested include two Americans, two Colombians and three Ukrainians. However, Maduro has not revealed their identities or the specific accusations against them.
Maduro claimed that these individuals had plotted violent actions before his inauguration scheduled for Friday, deemed illegitimate by the opposition.
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council proclaimed Maduro the winner of a third consecutive term after July elections, but the opposition maintains it won the vote in a landslide. Much of the international community has rejected the election results, calling them fraudulent.
Indeed, tensions have increased in recent days after US President Joe Biden welcomed opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to Washington. Gonzalez also made visits to Argentina, Panama and the Dominican Republic, seeking regional support from countries that recognize his claim to the presidency.
The opposition called on “millions” of Venezuelans to demonstrate on Thursday to block Maduro’s inauguration ceremony.
Separately, Gonzalez reported Tuesday that his son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, was kidnapped while dropping his children off at school in the capital, Caracas.
On Monday, the government announced it had arrested 125 people for alleged anti-government activities.
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