Maduro says election agreement with opposition 'mortally wounded'
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The Venezuelan President says an agreement reached between the government and the opposition last year over the 2024 elections had been dealt a great blow.
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks to supporters during a rally in support of his government in Caracas on January 23, 2024. (Photo by Gabriela Oraa / AFP)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday that agreements with the opposition over the country's 2024 presidential election were "mortally wounded" after government authorities announced foiling plots to assassinate him.
Arrests of more than 30 people -- both civilians and soldiers -- have been announced in recent days for participation in "five alleged conspiracies" since last year, which authorities said were instigated by US intelligence services and the Colombian army.
Following the latest arrests, Maduro said Thursday that an agreement reached between the government and opposition last year in Barbados to hold free and fair elections in 2024 with observers present had been dealt a great blow.
"The Barbados agreements are mortally wounded," he said during a televised address, adding, "I declare them in intensive care, they were stabbed, they were kicked."
"I hope we can save the Barbados accords and advance the dialogue to achieve major national consensus agreements... without plans to assassinate me, assassinate us or spread violence in the country," Maduro said.
Maduro was democratically elected in 2018 for a second, successive term and met with a barrage of unlawful sanctions. These have been significantly eased since the government and opposition made their agreement in Barbados last year.
Maduro says 'Bolivarian fury' plan activated in face of terrorism
Last week, the Venezuelan leader announced that "the Civic-Military-Police Bolivarian Fury plan will be activated in every corner of Venezuela with the aim of being ready to face any action that threatens the peace of the Republic," after revealing that "the CIA and DEA office in Colombia continue to act against Venezuela."
Maduro announced that the nationwide Bolivarian Fury plan would combat "any terrorist attempt" and help defend Venezuela's "right to peace.'
During a working session with the New Era Congress held at the Aquiles Nazoa Cultural Mansion, Maduro shed light on the significant financial backing behind these conspiracy plans, which he asserted aimed to undermine the nation's peace.
He announced that Diosdado Cabello, the first vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), will soon unveil a series of actions in collaboration with the People's Units for Peace (UPAZ) to activate the Bolivarian Fury plan nationwide. He stressed the need for this to be a comprehensive civic-military-police plan capable of responding to any coup attempt, no matter how it unfolds.
The Venezuelan President also issued a directive for the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) to maintain a state of high alert to safeguard the nation.
In mid-January, Maduro condemned what he described as a coup-related and violent agenda pursued by the extreme right-wing elements in Venezuela. He specifically referenced four conspiracies that were scheduled to unfold in 2023 and on January 1, 2024.
These plots, according to Maduro, were detected in May, August, November and December 2023, and their objectives were clear; assassinating him, Minister Padrino López, and other key leaders in Venezuela. The conspirators, Maduro said, planned these destabilizing actions from locations in Miami and Colombia, and the CIA and DEA offices in Colombia were implicated.
He did not believe that US President Joe Biden was directly involved in the planning of these plots, rather he emphasized that these entities, the CIA and DEA, operated independently.
