Five foreign nationals have been arrested by Venezuelan authorities in connection with an alleged plot against the government. This is the latest arrest after July’s contested election.
Diosdado Cabello, the interior minister of the country, said that on Thursday the five people – three Americans and one Bolivian as well as a Peruvian — had been involved in a plot to destabilize the country.
Cabello said that US intelligence agencies had been involved in the plot. However, he did not provide any evidence to support his claim.
The CIA denied an earlier claim that it was involved in an alleged plot to kill President Nicolas Maduro.
The US State Department has condemned the arrests of the last few days and stated that “the safety and security of American nationals anywhere in the world is our top priority”.
The international community has widely rejected the claim made by Maduro’s loyalists that he won the July elections.
Protests against the government erupted after Maduro declared victory.
Over 2,400 people were detained because they protested against the results of the elections. Human Rights Watch reports that hundreds of people have been charged with crimes such as terrorism, incitement of hatred, and resisting authority.
Cabello refused to disclose the date of the arrests but said one American was arrested in Zulia. Cabello did not provide any details on the circumstances surrounding the arrests.
Cabello stated in a television address that “the detained foreigners can speak Spanish fluently, which is a requirement for them to be involved in the community.”
Since Maduro’s victory in July, his supporters have frequently accused the US of sponsoring plots against the leftist government.
Cabello announced last month the arrest of 3 Americans, 2 Spaniards, and a Czech citizen who he suspected of traveling to the country to assassinate Maduro.
The interior minister called the detainees mercenaries and claimed that the CIA “led the operation”. He also said that hundreds of arms had been seized.
The US has denied these accusations.
Venezuela has accused the CIA many times of undermining Venezuela.
The latest incident was the latest deterioration of relations. Relations have been on a low level for years, as Venezuela has become increasingly close to Russia.
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, which is closely aligned to the government, has declared Maduro as the winner of the July vote. However, it has not released detailed voting results.
International observers have said that the election is seriously flawed. Carter Centre stated that the election “didn’t meet international standards for electoral integrity”.
