Rebel officer detained while sneaking into Venezuela
THE wife of a rebel military officer who President Nicolas Maduro has accused of plotting his overthrow says he has been arrested after sneaking back into Venezuela amid the country’s upheaval.
Sorbay Pailla said she last heard from her husband, retired National Guard Colonel Oswaldo Garcia Paloma, on Sunday after he entered the country clandestinely.
She said contacts within the DGCIM military intelligence unit told her that he was arrested in the western state of Barinas. Luis Almagro, the head of the Organisation of American States, has condemned what he called the “kidnapping” of Col Garcia Paloma.
Col Garcia Paloma has been an outspoken critic of Mr Maduro who has been open for months about his intent to amass a military force in exile to remove the president.
The Venezuelan government is yet to comment. Meanwhile,
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he is willing to negotiate with the country’s opposition.
His remarks in an interview with the Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency. Opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself the interim president last week and has urged citizens to challenge Mr Maduro with walkouts.
Mr Maduro said he is “willing to sit down for talks with the opposition for the sake of Venezuela’s peace and its future”.
He said the talks could be held with mediation by other countries. Russia is one of the staunchest supporters of Mr Maduro and has offered to mediate. He also mentioned Mexico, Uruguay, Bolivia and the Vatican.
Violent street demonstrations erupted last week after Mr Guaido held a major opposition rally in Caracas and declared that he had assumed presidential powers under the constitution and planned to hold fresh elections to end Mr Maduro’s “dictatorship”.
Mr Maduro accused Donald Trump of ordering a hit on him from Colombia.
He said he was aware of “orders” by the US president for the Colombian government and the local mafia to kill him.
Mr Trump tweeted yesterday: “Maduro willing to negotiate with opposition in Venezuela following US sanctions and the cutting off of oil revenues. Guaido is being targeted by Venezuelan Supreme Court.”