Madrid – Spain is asking Venezuela for information regarding Saturday’s reports of the arrest of two Spaniards, three United States citizens and one Czech. Reuters writes about it with reference to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Caracas, they are suspected of being connected to an alleged plan to destabilize the South American country. The AP later reported that they are accused of traveling to Venezuela to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro.
Spanish media quoted Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello as saying the six were arrested on suspicion of inciting violence and destabilizing Venezuela. According to him, the foreigners were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership.
“The Spanish embassy has sent a note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens to verify their identity and nationality and to know exactly what they are accused of,” a Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters.
Spanish citizens were detained in the city of Puerto Ayacucho, Spanish media quoted the minister as saying at a press conference. She added that about 400 rifles originating from the United States were seized during the operation. Spanish citizens were accused of belonging to the Spanish secret service. Madrid denied the claim, according to Spanish media.
The US State Department on Saturday confirmed the detention of one member of the US military and said it was aware of unconfirmed reports of two more US citizens being detained in Venezuela. “Any allegations of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” the office said in a statement, according to the AP.
The arrests come after the Venezuelan government recalled its ambassador to Spain this week for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to the foreign ministry. It thus escalated diplomatic tensions after the disputed presidential elections at the end of July.
Among other things, Venezuela was angered by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s decision to meet with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who the opposition says won the election. He went into exile in Spain last week after the Venezuelan regime threatened him with arrest.
Venezuela Spain CR crime diplomacy
Source: www.ceskenoviny.cz
