Venezuela army on alert after helicopter attack on top court
Search for pilot after four grenades thrown from craft
CARACAS // Venezuela’s military was on high alert yesterday after four grenades were thrown at the supreme court from a helicopter a day earlier.
The raising of tensions is a dramatic escalation of the violence gripping the oil- rich South American country.
A police helicopter fired on Venezuela’s supreme court and interior ministry in what president Nicolas Maduro said was a thwarted “terrorist attack”, aimed at ousting him from power.
The confusing turn of events in a country already paralysed by months of deadly anti-government protests, took place as Mr Maduro was speaking live on state television on Tuesday.
The helicopter assault comes a day after the president 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 talking about 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, Mr Maduro said.
“I have activated the entire armed forces to defend the peace,” he said from the Miraflores presidential palace.
“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.
The government identified the helicopter pilot as a former member of Venezuela’s main police force, known as the CICPC.
Pictures of a blue police helicopter carrying an anti-government banner appeared on social media about the same time as a video in which an alleged police pilot, identified as Oscar Perez, called for a rebellion against Mr Maduro’s “tyranny” as part of a coalition of members of the country’s security forces.
Authorities said they were still searching for the man. “We have two choices: be judged tomorrow by our conscience and the people, or begin today to free ourselves from this corrupt government,” the man said, reading from a statement as four people dressed in military fatigues, ski masks and carrying what looked like assault rifles stood behind him. Many of Mr Maduro’s opponents took to social media to accuse the president of orchestrating an elaborate ruse to justify a clampdown against Venezuelans seeking to block his plans to rewrite the constitution. Venezuela has been in the grips of anti-government protests for the past three months that have left at least 75 people dead and hundreds injured.
‘ I have activated the entire armed forces to defend the peace Nicolas Maduro President of Venezuela