The US State Department denied wild claims that the CIA was involved in a plot to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro, after Venezuelan authorities announced the arrests of three Americans, two Spaniards and one Czech national on Saturday.
The allegations of a plot against Venezuela's President Maduro, who is currently facing a disputed re-election, were made by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello on state television. Cabello said foreigners, including U.S. sailors, were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. In his television appearance, Cabello showed images of rifles that were allegedly seized from some of the suspected plotters.
The State Department confirmed late Saturday that one U.S. military member had been detained and said it was aware of “unconfirmed reports that two additional Americans have been detained in Venezuela.”
“Allegations that the United States is involved in a plot to overthrow the Maduro regime are completely false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to Venezuela's political crisis.”
The allegations came two days after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Maduro, who Washington accused of disrupting voting and committing human rights abuses in Venezuela's July 28 presidential election.
Last week, Spain's parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, infuriating Maduro's supporters, who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend trade and diplomatic ties with Spain.
Tensions between the Venezuelan government and the United States have also risen since the election, with protests across Venezuela following the results and hundreds of opposition activists being arrested.
Venezuela's electoral commission, which has close ties to Maduro's government, announced that he won the election with 52% of the vote but did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results.
Opposition activists surprised the government by collecting tallies from 80% of the voting machines, which were then posted online and showed that Mr Gonzalez had won with twice as many votes as Mr Maduro.
Venezuela's Supreme Court, which has long supported President Maduro despite international condemnation, acknowledged his victory in August. Venezuela's attorney general then charged Gonzalez with conspiracy, but he fled to Spain last week after it became clear he would be arrested.
Maduro has rejected requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide a vote tally proving his victory. In power since 2013, he has long alleged the United States is trying to topple him through sanctions and covert operations.
The Maduro regime has previously used Americans jailed in Venezuela to secure concessions. In a 2023 deal, Maduro released 10 Americans and one fugitive wanted by the U.S. government to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a Maduro aide held in Florida on money laundering charges. U.S. prosecutors said Saab helped Maduro evade U.S. Treasury sanctions through a complex network of shell companies.
In collaboration with The Associated Press.
