Three Americans and two Spaniards were arrested

Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were detained in Venezuela for being linked to an alleged plan to “destabilize” and generate “violent actions” In the country, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced on Saturday that he had seized 400 US rifles.

The minister spoke of an alleged plan to attack President Nicolás Maduro and executive authorities, following the elections of July 28 in which the president’s reelection was proclaimed amid allegations of fraud by the opposition.

“Two Spanish citizens were recently arrested in Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas, José María Basua and Andrés Martínez Adasme,” Cabello said at a press conference in which he spoke about a plan to supposedly “generate violence” and “destabilize” the country.

Cabello later added that a Czech citizen and three Americans identified as Wilbert Josep Castañeda, “active military officer” and “chief” of the operation, Estrella David and Aaron Barren Logan, were also captured.

Tensions between Venezuela, Spain and the United States

The arrests come amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Caracas and the governments of Spain and the United States.

This week, Venezuela recalled its ambassador in Madrid and summoned the Spanish ambassador in Caracas to protest questions about Maduro’s re-election.

Relations with the European country They were also strained by the decision of the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, meeting at La Moncloa with Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who is wanted by his country’s justice system and who traveled to Spain to request asylum.

Cabello linked the alleged plans to “attack” Venezuela to intelligence centers in Spain, the United States, and opposition leader María Corina Machado and other leaders.

“They have contacted French mercenaries, they have contacted mercenaries from Eastern Europe and they are in an operation to try to attack our country,” he added.

According to him, All the detainees are confessing.

“More than 400 rifles” were seized that were “for terrorist acts here in Venezuela, terrorism promoted by political sectors,” he said.

“We even know that the United States government is involved in this operation,” he said.