Heli pilot drops grenades on court
ARMY ON ALERT ‘TO DEFEND PEACE’ – MADURO Man says he’s ‘fighting tyranny, wants president to resign’.
Venezuela’s army has been put on alert after four grenades were hurled at the Supreme Court from a helicopter, President Nicolas Maduro said, in a potentially dramatic escalation of the violence gripping the South American country.
The helicopter assault comes a day after Maduro announced the arrests of five opponents he accused of plotting against him to clear the way for a US invasion.
The beleaguered president, who for weeks has been thundering about alleged coup attempts against him, said the helicopter was flown by a pilot who worked for a former minister.
About 15 shots were fired at the interior ministry, Maduro said.
“I have activated the entire armed forces to defend the peace.
“Sooner or later, we are going to capture that helicopter and those that carried out this terror attack.”
No one was hurt in the incident, he said.
The government identified the helicopter pilot as Oscar Perez, a former member of Venezuela’s main police force.
Maduro called on the opposition MUD alliance to denounce the attack but one of its leaders, Freddy Guevara, tweeted there was not yet enough information to comment.
Guevara urged people to take part in anti-government rallies yesterday – the latest in nearly three months of daily streets protests that have left 76 people dead.
Photographs circulating on social media showed a helicopter flying over Caracas with a banner that read “350 Freedom” – alluding to a constitutional clause recently invoked by the opposition to assert the Maduro government’s lack of legitimacy.
The photos showed two people on the chopper, one with his face covered with a mask and the other with it visible.
Videos on social media showed a man who said he was fighting tyranny, wants Maduro to resign and for Venezuela to hold early elections.
Maduro repeated claims of a US-backed coup attempt. – AFP