Maduro: ‘Attack was to kill’
Contradictory views after alleged drone strike on leader
Atelevised speech by President Nicola's Maduro was abruptly cut off yesterday and military personnel were seen running from what the Government called a “failed attack” against the president that left seven soldiers wounded.
At 5.40pm local time, first lady Cilia Flores looked up and put a hand to her heart, appearing frightened. The image was quickly changed to lines of military men in formation in the centre of Caracas, who seconds later all ran to one side. Maduro’s voice could be heard saying “let’s go to the right.”
“Explosions were heard,” said Communications Minister Jorge Rodrıguez an hour later on state TV. “Investigations show clearly that flying artefacts or drones containing explosive material exploded near the presidential stage.”
Photos published by China’s Xinhua News Agency showed bodyguards jumping in front of Maduro with Kevlar shields and one uniformed officer clutching a bleed- ing wound on his head.
Rodrıguez said Maduro was safe and in a meeting with his Cabinet and top military officials and that the wounded men were being treated. Firefighters were at the scene of the explosion, the Associated Press reported.
“The event is evidence of desperation of ultra-right leaders who, being defeated politically, continue to resort to criminal practices, and they have failed once again,” Rodrıguez said.
Some of Maduro’s detractors suggested the alleged attack could have been staged to stoke patriotism and buoy his flagging national support. The Associated Press, citing three officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the incident, said the blast was caused by a gas tank explosion in an apartment building.
Local journalists identified the site of the explosion as the Residencias Don Eduardo apartment building in central Caracas, and posted photos on Twitter of smoke billowing from an apartment there.
However, a military expert and former member of the armed forces who asked that her name be withheld out of fear of Government reprisals said her internal sources told her the attack had not been staged. She predicted the incident would spark a new series of military arrests.
Maduro, who was speaking at an event celebrating the 81st anniversary of Venezuela’s National Guard, had been in the middle of a pledge to lead the country toward an economic recovery.
He addressed the nation nearly three hours after the alleged attack, saying some of the “far right” plotters had been captured, and pointed the finger at Venezuelan dissidents in the US as well as neighbouring Colombia.
“This was an attack to kill me,” he said. Referring to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, he added: “Already, the first investigations show that those intellectually and financially responsible for this attack live in the United States of North America, in Florida. I hope the Government of Donald Trump is willing to combat terrorist groups that want to attack presidents of peaceful nations.”
The incident sent shock waves through Venezuela, a country already in the thick of a roiling political and economic crisis. With inflation spiralling toward 1 million per cent and shortages of food and medicine growing more acute, dozens of officers and soldiers have been arrested by the Government in connection with alleged coup plots.
In June 2017, an intelligence police commander flew a helicopter over Government institutions and threw grenades at the country’s supreme court building. The commander, Oscar Perez, was executed in January after publishing dramatic videos of his confrontation with military personnel.
Meanwhile, hundreds of soldiers have deserted their posts since Maduro — a former bus driver and the successor to Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013 — won an election in May that opposition leaders and dozens of countries, including the US, called a fraudulent power grab. Maduro has sought to rally loyalists after suggestions by President Trump that a military solution remains on the table to force Maduro to restore democracy.