CARACAS – Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro claimed on Wednesday night that his intelligence services foiled a plot, aimed to assassinate him and overthrow the government. According to Maduro, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera is behind the “fascist plot,” together with the U.S., Colombia, and interim-president Juan Guaidó. No evidence was provided.
Government officials of the Maduro administration announced on Wednesday that they had foiled a plot to assassinate sitting President Nicolás Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and leaders of the Socialist Party.
According to Venezuela’s communication minister Jorge Rodríguez, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera, together with Colombian President Iván Duque, US-American National Security Advisor John Bolton, and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, backed the plot.
Maduro spoke out on national television, calling the plot “fascist.”
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Bombing, Looting, and Installing the Ex-Defense Minister
Rodríguez gave details about the purported plot on national television, demonstrating a broad plan containing the occupation of an air base and three military bases, the bombing of a government building, and the looting of the central bank.
Top officials of the Socialist Party, Maduro, and his wife were to be assassinated and the ex-defense minister Raúl Baduel was to be liberated and later installed as president.
According to Rodríguez, Venezuelan intelligence services intercepted hours of conference calls during which the plot was discussed.
Prior Maduro Accusations Against Chile
This is not the first time the Venezuelan government has accused the Piñera administration of involvement in an assassination attempt on Maduro.
In August 2018, Maduro was the target of an attack by two drones that exploded when he was speaking at a military parade. He was unharmed, and later accused Chile, along with Colombia and Mexico, of being complicit in the attack.
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Editor-In-Chief Boris van der Spek is the founder of Chile Today. He worked in Colombia, Surinam and the Netherlands as reporter and works with international media during major events, like the social crisis, the elections and the Pope’s visit.