(Caracas) The Venezuelan prosecutor’s office announced on Friday the opening of an investigation following statements by Colombian paramilitaries claiming to have been solicited to “destabilize” the government of President Maduro, who is seeking re-election on July 28.
In a video posted on social media, the group called “Self-Defense Conquerors of the Sierra Nevada” claims to have been contacted to “destabilize the government of the Republic of Venezuela”, “damage the electrical infrastructure, act against the candidate president Nicolas Maduro, act if he is re-elected by infiltrating demonstrations and creating chaos in the streets”.
“The public prosecutor has designated the 83e “National Prosecutor’s Office to investigate and punish new threats of murder against the Head of State,” wrote Attorney General Tarek William Saab on X.
Mr Maduro had just minutes before this statement publicly asked Mr Saab to launch investigations.
PHOTO MAXWELL BRICENO, REUTERS
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
“They were contacted by members of the Venezuelan extreme right to infiltrate a thousand men to generate violence in the border states,” Maduro said on his radio show.
The accusation is part of other allegations made by the government since the beginning of the year about alleged conspiratorial plans by the opposition, which it accuses of seeking to commit “fraud” after the presidential election.
Mr Maduro also accused his main presidential rival, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, two weeks ago of plotting a coup after the latter refused to sign an agreement to respect the election result proposed by the government.
Mr Gonzalez was nominated as the opposition coalition’s candidate in place of leader Maria Corina Machado, who was declared ineligible.