Who are the Spaniards detained in Venezuela?

Diosdado Cabello, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Nicolás Maduro regime, announced this Saturday the arrest of two Spaniards, José María Basoa and Andrés Martínez Adasmeand accused them of being part of an operation that aimed to carry out “terrorist” acts in Venezuela, including assassinating Nicolás Maduro.

Basoa and Martínez Adasme are 35 and 32 years oldrespectively. They were arrested in Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas, and are “directly” linked to the Spanish National Intelligence Center.

Spanish government sources have denied that the two arrested belong to the CNI. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Spanish Embassy in Venezuela have sent a message to the government to be able to have access to the detainees, verify their identities and see what charges they are accused of, according to Angie Calero.

Cabello has claimed that together with the CIA they were planning to assassinate Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez and himself. He also accuses them of a plan to assassinate the mayor of Upata, Yulisbeth García.

Who are the Spaniards detained in Venezuela?

Under these names there are two profiles on Linkedin, both from Bilbao. The one from Basoa states that he is a “Senior technician in installation, repair and maintenance of gas, heating, plumbing and air conditioning installations» with experience in Spain and Germany.

Martínez Adasme’s, much less complete, simply states that he is from Bilbao and that he is an unemployed person looking for opportunities.

The diary ABC It was reported that on September 9, the municipal services of the Colombian town of Inírida launched an alert regarding the “disappearance” of these two Spanish citizens who were labeled as “tourists.”

The two had flown from Madrid to Caracas on August 17 and rented a vehicle. They were supposedly traveling to Inírida, Colombia, and were supposed to return to Puerto Ayacucho, Venezuela, but they never did, nor did they return the rented vehicle.

Cabello’s announcement on detained foreigners

Cabello reported the arrest of two Spanish citizens, three Americans and a Czech, involved in an alleged operation aimed at carrying out “terrorist” acts, including the assassination of Nicolás Maduro.

The minister said that these two Spanish citizens “have links” with the Spanish National Intelligence Centre (CNI).

According to the Venezuelan minister, more than 400 weapons “transported from the United States” were seized in the operation, and some of those captured were seeking to bring “a group of mercenaries” to Venezuela with the purpose of assassinating Maduro, as well as the Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, and other Chavista leaders.