Spain, the US and the Czech Republic demand information from Venezuela about detainees

The governments of the United States, Spain and the Czech Republic on Monday asked Venezuela for information about its citizens detained in this country, accused of being part of a plot to assassinate Nicolás Maduro.

In the midst of the crisis that arose after his re-election on July 28, which the opposition denounces as a fraud and which the United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries do not recognize, the Venezuelan government announced over the weekend the arrest of three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech in connection with an alleged plan to “destabilize” the country.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said that an active-duty U.S. soldier, Wilbert Castañeda, was among those captured and that 400 rifles were seized.

«We are seeking additional information and monitoring the situation. “I have no further comment at this time,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday.

Caracas and Washington broke off diplomatic relations in 2019.

Spain and the Czech Republic, which do maintain formal dialogue with Venezuela, confirmed on Monday that they have begun efforts to request information.

Cabello identified the other two Americans as David Estrella and Aaron Barren Logan and the Spaniards like José María Basoa and Andrés Martínez Adasme, and linked them to intelligence agencies in the United States and Spain, which Washington and Madrid flatly denied. The Czech was identified as Jan Darmovrzal.

“The United States government did not expect us to have the capacity to capture the head of operations of the terrorist plan against Venezuela,” Maduro said during his weekly television program about the U.S. military.

What are the charges against foreigners detained in Venezuela?

The Spanish government has requested “official and verified information” on its detained citizens, “as well as clarification of the charges against them,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The Spanish embassy in Caracas is in contact with the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, to which it has informed that it will provide diplomatic and consular protection for its nationals. We are keeping the families informed,” he continued.

Maduro also assured that the detainees “are convicted and have confessed.”

“These terrorist tourists were going to plant bombs in their free time. They are coming for a new type of tourism, you could call it adventure tourism, explosive tourism,” the president said ironically.

The incident occurred at a time of bilateral tension, when opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who claims to have won the election, is in exile in Madrid. Electoral authorities proclaimed Maduro, but have not published a detailed count, while the opposition published copies of the minutes on a website claiming victory for its candidate.

While Pedro Sánchez’s government has avoided recognizing González Urrutia as president-elect, Venezuela has threatened to break diplomatic, consultative and commercial relations.

Foreign Minister Yván Gil called the Venezuelan ambassador in Madrid, Gladys Gutiérrez, for consultations.

The Czech Republic also said it had requested “detailed information on the case and consular contact,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Wernerova, who said her country was in contact with the United States and Spain regarding the situation.

The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, described Maduro’s government as “dictatorial.”

Background

This is not the first time that foreigners have been arrested in Venezuela on charges of conspiracy.

Americans Luke Denman and Airan Berry were sentenced to 20 years in prison for the so-called ‘Operation Gideon’a plan denounced in 2020 by the ruling Chavistas to invade the country by sea and overthrow Maduro, which ended with eight “mercenaries” dead.

They were released last December and returned to their country in the prisoner exchange that led to the release of Colombian Alex Saab, a government contractor accused of being a “front man” for Maduro. The leader of that operation, retired Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, was arrested last July in New York, accused of arms trafficking.

“We have already seen several episodes of a movie that seems to repeat itself, this is like the fifth season of Netflix’s perpetual conspiracy,” Maduro said.