Venezuela halts Colombia flights over alleged US-backed terror plot
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Venezuela says it foiled a terrorist plot ahead of the May 25 elections, arresting 38 suspects, including 17 foreigners, as security tightens across the country.
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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello commemorate the 24th anniversary of Hugo Chávez's 1992 coup attempt at Miraflores Palace, Caracas, February 4, 2016 (AFP)
A "terrorist plot" aimed at sabotaging next Sunday’s elections through bombings targeting hospitals, embassies, and public institutions has been foiled, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced on Monday.
Cabello explained that 38 people had been arrested in connection with these plans, including 17 foreigners, noting that the group included explosives experts, mercenaries, and members of militias trained abroad, who had entered through the border with Colombia.
The Venezuelan Interior Minister also noted that all incoming flights from Colombia had been suspended as a precautionary security measure ahead of the elections, while emphasizing that security forces would respond decisively to any threats to the country’s stability. He issued a stern warning: "Be advised, you will face a decisive response from state security forces."
The minister accused opposition leader Maria Corina Machado of orchestrating the plot, describing Ivan Simonovis as a "failed operative."
He also held US Secretary of State Marco Rubio responsible for instigating the attempts and providing both media support and diplomatic backing for these efforts, pointing out that Rubio was pursuing a flawed policy against Venezuela, one based on lies and designed to discredit the Bolivarian government through any means necessary.
Venezuela to hold elections on May 25
Venezuela announced that it will hold parliamentary, legislative, and gubernatorial elections on May 25, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported on February 19.
During a Wednesday press conference, electoral board chief Elvis Amoroso stated that the decision to postpone the elections from the original April 27 date came in response to requests from political figures seeking to boost voter participation.
Machado, a prominent opposition leader, urged supporters to boycott President Nicolas Maduro's third six-year term in January, following an election that the US-backed opposition has labeled as "fraudulent".
Maduro: Americans violated agreements, tried to destabilize Venezuela
In late January, Maduro revealed that over 200 mercenaries from over 25 nationalities planning to "set the country on fire" have been arrested.
Maduro stressed that "the Americans violated the agreements and wanted to destabilize Venezuela," considering that the new president in the US would be a good opportunity to "build a new and profitable relationship between Venezuela and America."
Maduro was sworn in for his third term on January 10 after being re-elected as the country's leader. In a speech, he emphasized his legitimacy, stating, "I was not inaugurated by the United States or any Latin American country, but by the will of the people."
He reiterated his independence from foreign influences, declaring, "I am not an absolute ruler nor a servant of oligarchs or imperialists."
He also addressed allegations of external conspiracies, claiming, "The country has defended itself against an American plot aimed at undermining Venezuela, and we emerged victorious in this confrontation."
