Madrid denies claims of ‘plot’ to assassinate Maduro

The Spanish government has categorically rejected Venezuela’s claims that two of its citizens arrested by the country’s secret services on Saturday were part of Spanish intelligence and planned to carry out attacks, including an attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reported on Saturday the arrest of several suspected foreign intelligence agents, including two Spaniards, who - according to the official - "wanted to supply mercenaries" for an alleged US-led operation to overthrow Maduro's regime, Euractiv's partner EFE reported.

Caracas suspects that the two Spanish citizens belong to Spain’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI) and are allegedly involved in the operation, said Cabello.

In addition to the two Spaniards, three Americans and a Czech were arrested, accused by Caracas of being involved in the operation to try to overthrow the Maduro regime.

“The United States is directing this operation. Spain was going to supply the foreign mercenaries to carry out this operation”, Cabello told Venezuelan television channel Telesur on Saturday.

Spain’s CNI was going to use “mercenaries of French origin” whose “mission was to take over” the International Airport of Maiquetía in Caracas, the Venezuelan official added.

Venezuela refutes Spain’s official version

However, this version was denied by Spanish government sources, who told EFE on Saturday that the two detainees - identified as Andrés Martinez Adasme and Jose María Basoa Valdovinos - do not belong to the Spanish secret services.

On Sunday, sources in the Spanish Foreign Ministry said, “The (Spanish) government confirms that the detainees do not belong to the CNI or any other State body”. “Spain defends a democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Venezuela”, the same sources added, EFE reported.

Citing family sources, the Spanish media reported on Sunday that the two were tourists from Bilbao (Basque Country/North) and had no links with Spanish intelligence.

But Caracas refuted Madrid’s official version.

According to Cabello, it was “predictable” that the Spanish government would deny the alleged links of the two detainees, who - according to the official - have admitted “belonging to the Spanish intelligence agencies, in this case the CNI”.

“Spain will say no, it is logical (...) these people are confessing their active participation (in the alleged plot against Maduro),” the official stressed.

Cabello affirmed that the two arrested Spaniards had “connections” with “political groups in Venezuela”, with “criminal gangs”, and with the US military officer Wilber Josep Castañeda - arrested on 1 September in Venezuela - who, according to the minister, was “the head of the operation”.

According to Caracas, María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader and the main supporter of former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, is behind the alleged plot. Urrutia has been in exile in Spain since 8 September, where he requested asylum on the grounds of political and judicial persecution in the Caribbean country.

On Saturday, the US State Department confirmed the arrest of at least one US citizen, although it denied that there was a plot against Maduro.

“We can confirm the detention of a member of the US military and are aware of unconfirmed reports of two other US citizens detained in Venezuela,” a State Department spokesman told EFE on Saturday.

At the same time, EU Diplomacy Chief the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell described Maduro’s regime in Venezuela as “dictatorial” and “authoritarian” on Sunday, alluding to those forced to flee the country, including Urrutia.

(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.Euractiv.es)