Venezuela vows to fend off ‘coup’ after grenade attack
CARACAS, Venezuela: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro vowed Wednesday to fend off what he called a coup attempt after a rogue cop allegedly dropped grenades from a helicopter in an attack the opposition and analysts said could be a hoax.
The socialist president put the military on alert after the attack, a potentially dramatic escalation of the violence gripping the South American country.
The death toll rose by two more Wednesday to 79 in three months of daily street protests against Maduro, blamed for a crisis marked by shortages of food, medicine and other basics.
Maduro blamed the chopper attack on Oscar Perez, a police pilot-turned-actor who appeared in a video online claiming that he and other officers were launching an “aerial deployment” to push Maduro to quit.
Beyond his police work, Perez has acted in a Venezuelan action film, “Suspended Death,” and has posted photographs on social media of himself posing with weapons.
“We are a coalition of military, police and civilian public servants... opposed to this transitional, criminal government,” said Perez, flanked by four masked figures in black, two of them holding rifles.
Maduro has for months been fending off calls for elections to replace him, from opponents who blame him for a desperate economic crisis that has sparked hunger and deadly violence.
He so far retains the public backing of the military high command — a factor that analysts say is decisive if he is to remain in power.
Venezuela has seen three attempted military coups since 1992.
Maduro said no one was hurt in the helicopter attack, but branded it a “terrorist attack,” part of an “escalation” by right-wing “coup” plotters.
“I have activated the entire armed forces to defend the peace,” he said in remarks broadcast from the presidential palace.
Vice President Tareck El-Aissami said later that the helicopter used in the attack had been found in Osma, a town near Caracas. No arrests had been made, he added.
Photos circulating on social media showed a helicopter flying over Caracas as explosions were heard.
In the video published by Venezuelan media, Perez called on Maduro to resign and for early elections to be held.
Maduro said Perez had served as pilot for former Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres, a retired general who has since fallen out with the president.
Leaders of the opposition MUD coalition said there was not yet enough information to comment.
“Some people say it is a hoax, some say it is real, some say that it was police personnel who really are fed up,” opposition legislative speaker Julio Borges told reporters.