Three Americans, two Spaniards, and a Czech citizen were arrested in Venezuela on accusations of plotting to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro. The arrests were announced on state television by Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s interior minister, who claimed the group was part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the government. The Americans included a Navy member identified as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez, a navy seal with experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Colombia. The U.S. State Department denied any involvement in the plot and called the claims false, stating support for a democratic solution to Venezuela’s political crisis.
The arrests came shortly after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on allies of Maduro accused of obstructing voting in the disputed July 28 presidential election, where opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez was recognized as the winner by Spain’s parliament. Tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. have escalated post-election, with opposition protests and allegations of vote manipulation. Despite international condemnation, Venezuela’s supreme court confirmed Maduro’s victory, and the opposition leader Gonzalez fled to Spain to avoid arrest.
Maduro has long accused the U.S. of trying to overthrow him, using Americans imprisoned in Venezuela as leverage in deals with the U.S. government. In a past deal, Maduro released Americans and a fugitive to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close ally facing money laundering charges in the U.S. Prosecutors claim Saab helped Maduro evade sanctions through a network of shell companies. The situation highlights ongoing political tensions in Venezuela and the complexities of international relations in the region.
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