Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the arrest of two Spanish citizens on Saturday. According to Cabello, the Spaniards have connections to the Spanish Intelligence Service (CNI) and wanted to murder the Venezuelan President Maduro.
Government sources have assured Spanish TV channel RTVE that the Spaniards are not from the CNI, although they were unable to provide more details about the arrests. The Spanish government denies any involvement of Spain in a conspiracy.
Accusation of Cabello
The Spaniards have been arrested along with three Americans and a Czech, all involved in an alleged operation aimed at carrying out “terrorist” acts, including assassinating the president, Nicolás Maduro. It is not clear what Cabello is basing the accusation on. He also stated that more than 400 weapons “transported from the United States” were seized during the operation.
Deployment of the Spanish Embassy
“The Spanish embassy requested the Venezuelan government to access the detainees, to verify their identity and nationality. And, if verified, to know what they are accused of so that they can receive all the necessary assistance”, Foreign Ministry sources have indicated to RTVE, who stressed that “the embassy will guarantee at all times the protection and rights of any Spaniard detained in Venezuela.”
U.S. also denies involvement
The United States also denies involvement. A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrest. He said any claim that the U.S. was involved in a plot to overthrow Maduro is “categorically false.” “The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” the spokesperson concluded.
Venezuela besieged by imperialism
Cabello demanded that the U.S. government, which “is behind this operation,” provide clarification on “the use of its territory for arms trafficking.” With the aim of “overthrowing a democratic government, elected by its people” during the July 28 presidential elections. After the election, Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE. A result that was rejected by the opposition and most of the international community.
Venezuela, Cabello added, has been “constantly besieged by imperialism and its allies, who have no scruples whatsoever. Consequently, the Venezuelan state has had a duty to make decisions to defend itself.”