Venezuela thwarts another coup attempt: official

By News Desk

 –

2019-06-27

The Venezuelan authorities have thwarted another attempt to stage a coup, Minister of Communications and Information Jorge Rodriguez said on Wednesday.

“We have video recordings that serve as evidence that weapons and money were transferred [for the aim of staging a coup],” Rodriguez told a press conference broadcast by the Telesur TV channel.

Rodriguez said that conspirators planned to seize ammunition depots and a military airport in Caracas, then release former Defense Minister Raul Baduel from prison. In 2009, Baduel was sentenced to a lengthy term in prison for corruption. Conspirators planned to proclaim Baduel as Venezuela’s president.

On January 23 Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido proclaimed himself as the country’s acting president. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has described it as a coup attempt and announced severing diplomatic relations with the United States. On January 28 the US imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state-owned PDVSA oil company.

Guaido was recognized as interim president by the Lima Group countries (except for Mexico), as well as by Albania, Georgia, the United States, and the Organization of American States.

Several EU countries came forward with support for the Venezuelan parliament and expressed hope for new elections to resolve the crisis. Maduro was supported by Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Syria and Turkey.

 

Source: TASS