Maduro unhurt after drone blast, official says
Venezuelan leader’s speech cut short by an apparent attack
CARACAS, Venezuela — Drones armed with explosives detonated near Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as he gave a speech to hundreds of soldiers in Caracas on Saturday but the socialist leader was unharmed, according to the government.
Seven people were injured in the apparent attack that came as Maduro celebrated the National Guard’s 81st anniversary, said Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez. Maduro’s speech was abruptly cut short, and soldiers could be seen breaking ranks and scattering.
“At exactly 5:41 p.m. in the afternoon, several explosions were heard,” Rodriguez said in a live address to the nation minutes after the incident. “The investigation clearly reveals they came from dronelike devices that carried explosives.”
But firefighters at the scene of the blast disputed the government’s version of events.
Three local authorities who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case said the incident was actually a gas tank explosion inside an apartment near the site of Maduro’s speech.
Smoke could be seen coming out a building window.
Adding to the confusion, a previously unknown group calling itself Soldiers in T-shirts claimed responsibility, saying it planned to fly two drones loaded with explosives at the president, but government soldiers shot them down before reaching its target. The Associated Press could not independently verify the authenticity of the message.
“We showed that they are vulnerable,” the tweet said. “It was not successful today, but it is just a matter of time.”
The organization did not respond to a message seeking more information.
“The right insists on violence to take public spaces that they can’t win with votes,” Diosdado Cabello, a high-ranking socialist party leader, wrote on Twitter after the apparent assault, which he characterized as a “terrorist attack.”
State television was broadcasting Maduro’s speech at the National Guard anniversary live when the incident took place.
“We are going to bet for the good of our country,” Maduro declared triumphantly moments before the sound of an explosion pierced the air. “The hour of the economy recovery has come.”
Seconds later, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, looked up to the sky and winced.
The cameras then turned to a wide shot of uniformed military officers standing at attention in neat lines as they broke rank and began running. The transmission then cut off.
Images being shared on social media showed officers surrounding Maduro with what appeared to be a black bulletproof barrier as they escorted him from the site.
Venezuela’s government routinely accuses opposition activists of plotting to attack and overthrow Maduro.
Despite having the world’s largest oil reserves, Venezuela is suffering an economic, political and humanitarian crisis, with widespread shortages of basic goods and out-of-control inflation.
In recent months, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have fled to neighboring countries to avoid hardship in their own country, where Maduro is accused of suppressing the opposition and attempting to create a dictatorship.
The president was re-elected to another six-year term in May, in polls denounced as undemocratic by the European Union, the United States and at least 12 Latin American countries.