The governments of United States, Spain and Czech Republic On Monday they asked Venezuela for information about their citizens detained in this countryaccused of being part of a plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro.
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In the midst of the crisis that arose after his re-election on July 28, which the opposition denounces as a fraud and which the United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries do not recognize, The Venezuelan government announced over the weekend the arrest of three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech linked to an alleged plan to “destabilize” the country.
The Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabelloreported that an active US military officer, Wilbert Castañeda, is among those captured and that the confiscated 400 rifles. “We are seeking additional information and monitoring the situation. I have no further comment at this time,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday.
We are seeking additional information and monitoring the situation. I have no further comment at this time.
Caracas and Washington broke diplomatic relations in 2019Spain and the Czech Republic, which do maintain formal dialogue with Venezuela, confirmed on Monday that they have begun efforts to request information.
Cabello identified the other two Americans as David Estrella and Aaron Barren Logan and the Spaniards as José María Basoa and Andrés Martínez Adasme, and linked them to intelligence agencies in the United States and Spain, something that Washington and Madrid flatly denied.
The Czech was identified as Jan Darmovrzal“The United States government did not expect us to have the capacity to capture the head of operations of the terrorist plan against Venezuela,” Maduro said during his weekly television program about the U.S. military.
The government of Spain The country has requested “official and verified information” from its detained citizens, “as well as clarification of the charges against them,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The Spanish embassy in Caracas is in contact with the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, to which it has informed that it will provide diplomatic and consular protection for its nationals. We are keeping the families informed,” he continued.
These terrorist tourists were going to plant bombs in their free time, they are coming to a new type of tourism, adventure tourism you could call it, explosive tourism.
Maduro also assured that the detainees “They are convicted and have confessed.” “These terrorist tourists were going to plant bombs in their free time. They are coming for a new type of tourism, adventure tourism you could call it, explosive tourism,” the president said ironically.
The incident occurs at a time of bilateral tensionwhen the opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who claims to have won the elections, is exiled in Madrid.
Electoral authorities have proclaimed Maduro victors but have not published a detailed count, while the opposition has published copies of the minutes on a website claiming victory for its candidate.
While the government of Pedro Sanchez has avoided giving recognition to the president-elect Gonzalez UrrutiaVenezuela has threatened to break diplomatic, consultative and commercial relations.
Foreign Minister Yván Gil called the Venezuelan ambassador in Madrid, Gladys Gutiérrez, for consultations. The Czech Republic also reported that it requested “detailed information on the case and consular contact,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Wernerova, who indicated that her country is in contact with the United States and Spain regarding the situation.
The head of European Union diplomacy, Josep Borrell, described the Maduro government as “dictatorial”.
This is not the first time that foreigners have been arrested in Venezuela
It is not the first time that Foreigners are detained in Venezuela accused of conspiracies.
The Americans Luke Denman and Airan Berry They were sentenced to 20 years in prison for the so-called ‘Operation Gedeón’, a plan denounced in 2020 by the ruling Chavismo to invade the country by sea and overthrow Maduro, and which ended with eight “mercenaries” dead.
They were released last December and handed over to their country in the prisoner exchange that led to the release of the Colombian Alex Saab, government contractor accused of being Maduro’s “front man.”
The leader of that operation, Retired Green Beret Jordan Goudreauwas arrested last July in New York, accused of arms trafficking. “We have already seen several chapters of a movie that seems to repeat itself, this is like the fifth season of Netflix’s perpetual conspiracy,” Maduro said.
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