US rejects claims of CIA involvement in alleged plot to assassinate Maduro after Venezuela makes six arrests | Venezuela

The US State Department has rejected wild allegations of CIA involvement in an alleged assassination plot against Nicolás Maduro, after Venezuelan officials announced the arrest of three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech on Saturday.

The allegations of a plot against Maduro — the Venezuelan president whose recent re-election is in dispute — were made on state television by Diosdado Cabello, the interior minister. Cabello said the foreign citizens, including a US Navy member, were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. On the television program, Cabello showed images of guns that he said had been seized from some of the alleged plotters.

The US State Department confirmed the arrest of a US service member on Saturday evening and said it was aware of “unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens being held in Venezuela”.

“Any allegations of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are patently false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.”

The allegations come two days after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Maduro, accusing him of obstructing the vote in Venezuela’s disputed July 28 presidential election and violating human rights.

Last week, the Spanish parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, angering Maduro’s allies, who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend trade and diplomatic ties with Spain.

Tensions between the Venezuelan government and the US have also increased following the election. The results led to protests in Venezuela, with hundreds of opposition activists arrested.

Venezuela’s Electoral Council, which is closely aligned with Maduro’s government, said Maduro had won the election with 52% of the vote, but did not provide detailed breakdowns of the results.

Opposition activists surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80% of the voting machines. They were published online and show Gonzalez winning with twice as many votes as Maduro.

Despite international condemnation, Venezuela’s Supreme Court, which has long backed Maduro, upheld his victory in August. Venezuela’s attorney general subsequently filed conspiracy charges against Gonzalez, who fled to Spain last week after it became clear he would be arrested.

Maduro has rejected requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to produce tally sheets proving his victory. Maduro, in power since 2013, has long alleged that the U.S. is trying to topple him through sanctions and covert operations.

Maduro’s government has previously used Americans held in Venezuela to extract concessions. In a 2023 deal, Maduro released 10 Americans and a fugitive wanted by the U.S. government to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally who was being held in Florida on money laundering charges. U.S. prosecutors say Saab also helped Maduro evade U.S. Treasury Department sanctions through a complex network of shell companies.

With the Associated Press.