Venezuela’s ar my on hunt after attack on weapons base

VENEZUELA’S military was hunting a group of “mercenaries” yesterday who made off with weapons after an attack on an army base carried out against what they called the “murderous tyranny” of President Nicolas Maduro.

Around 20 men were led by an army officer who had deserted battled troops in the base in the third city of Valencia for three hours early on Sunday, officials said.

The raid ended with two of the attackers being killed and eight captured, Maduro said.

The other 10 escaped with weapons taken from the facility.

Maduro claimed the “terrorist” group had ties to Colombia and the United States.

The incident heightened fears that Venezuela’s deepening political and economic crisis could explode into greater violence.

Officials insisted afterward that all was normal across the country. Military helicopters flew overhead and tactical armoured vehicles patrolled the streets in Valencia.

Locals said a night-time curfew was imposed. Police dispersed protesters who had set up flaming barricades across roads.

The armed forces said in a statement “a group of civilian criminals wearing military uniforms and a first lieutenant who had deserted” carried out the attack.

Maduro said the lieutenant, among those captured, was “actively giving information and we have testimony from seven of the civilians”.

Maduro congratulated the army for its immediate reaction in putting down the attack.

Venezuela’s opposition has repeatedly urged the military to abandon Maduro. But head of the armed forces, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino, said the military’s loyalty was unshakable.

In a video posted online just before the attack, a man presenting himself as an army captain named Juan Caguaripano declared a “legitimate rebellion . . . to reject the murderous tyranny of Nicolas Maduro”.

Speaking with 15 men in camouflage standing by him, some of them armed, he demanded a transitional government and free elections.

It was not known if he was the lieutenant referred to in the military statement, demoted for deserting, or whether he was another renegade officer. — AFP