Troops foil rebel attack onVenezuela army base

MILITARY troops quickly put down an attack at an army base in Venezuela on Sunday, clashing with a group that said it was out to “reestablish the constitutional order” but was dismissed by officials as a band of civilians working with a deserted lieutenant and a former officer.

The incident happened during the early morning at the Paramacay base in the central city of Valencia.

Residents who live nearby said they heard repeated rounds of gunfire starting around 4.30am.

Dozens of locals gathered outside the base chanting, “Freedom!” and troops dispersed them with tear gas.

The clashes sparked just as a video showing more than a dozen men dressed in military fatigues, some carrying rifles, began circulating widely on social media.

In the recording, a man who identified himself as Captain Juan Caguaripano said the men were members of the military who oppose the government of embattled President Nicolas Maduro and called on other units to declare themselves in open rebellion.

“This is not a coup d’etat,” he said. “This is a civic and military action to re-establish the constitutional order.”

Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez characterised the attackers as a “paramilitary” expedition carried out by civilians in uniforms.

He said they included a lieutenant who had abandoned his post and a former officer dismissed three years ago after being charged with rebellion.

In 2014, Capt Caguaripano released a 12-minute video denouncing Mr Maduro. He later went into exile, returning to lead Sunday’s uprising.