Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the Argentinean government of a US-backed assassination attempt on his deputy ahead of his inauguration to a new presidential term later this week, decrying the “violent plans” by Buenos Aires against the peace of his country.
Maduro announced during a press conference in the capital Caracas on Tuesday that the Venezuelan intelligence units had arrested at least 125 mercenaries of various nationalities during investigations following the assassination attempt on the country’s Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.
“Argentine government is directly involved in the violent plans to attempt against the peace of Venezuela. It is headed, financed, and promoted by the US empire. Who can doubt it today? The empire is the empire. We were born to defeat the empires. We were born for that. We will continue on our path," Maduro said.
“As Commander-in-Chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces and Commander-in-Chief of the police forces, I am proud of Venezuela's military, police and intelligence personnel, because we have guaranteed peace and stability in the face of national and international fascist threats to our country,” he added.
Maduro, who is set to take office for a third term on Friday following last July’s election, said later in the day that a group, among them two Americans, was captured in unspecified parts of Venezuela and was planning “terrorist acts” ahead of the inauguration ceremony.
“Just today, we’ve captured seven foreign mercenaries, including two important mercenaries from the United States,” he said in a broadcast on state television, adding that the detained Americans were “very high level,” without providing further details.
Biosdado Cabello, the Venezuelan interior minister, also confirmed the arrest of dozens of “terrorists” who had plotted to assassinate the country’s vice president as well as other officials.
“We captured 125 terrorists of 25 nationalities who planned attacks against public services and leaders of the Bolivarian Revolution,” Cabello said.
“And just as the president says, this group of people is from southern countries. The first mission they had was to attack the vice president. That was the first information that reached us and from then on, the investigation began and they have been arrested, they are being prosecuted and brought to justice as required.”
Nahuel Gallo, a serviceman of Argentina's Gendarmeria security force, was charged with a case of terrorism after his arrest on December 8, with Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab saying Gallo was a member of the group that tried to carry out the terrorist attacks.
As a response, Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich addressed Maduro in her X account, rejecting the accusations of Gallo as a "ridiculous conspiracy without evidence." She also added that Argentina would "not tolerate such abuses any longer."
This came after Maduro broke off his country's diplomatic relations with Paraguay after the latter expressed support for the Venezuelan opposition, which it claimed to be the winner of the Venezuela’s presidential elections.
Maduro was declared winner by the electoral authority and the nation's top court.
However, the opposition claimed that its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia had obtained 66% of the votes and was the winner. The court said voting tallies published online showing Maduro had lost were forged.
The 62-year-old Maduro became president following the death of his mentor Hugo Chavez in 2013, and was re-elected in 2018 despite the United States-orchestrated opposition.
MNA/
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