Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reacts during an event which was interrupted, in this still frame taken from video August 4, 2018, Caracas, Venezuela. VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT TV/Handout via REUTERS TV
September 25, 2018
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s socialist president Nicolas Maduro accusedthe right-wing governments of Chile, Colombia and Mexico on Monday of helping “terrorists” who tried to kill him during a drone attack in early August.
The three countries refuted Venezuela’s accusations that they were linked to the attack, which used drones carrying explosives during a military parade, in the latest spat between diplomatically isolated Caracas and Latin America.
In a televised broadcast on Monday night, Maduro showed a video of a young Venezuelan man, identified as Henryberth Rivas, who said he participated in the drone attack against the president.
Rivas said in the video he was instructed by a fellow plotter after the attack to seek refuge at the Chileanembassy in Caracas, from where he was told he would be smuggled to the Mexican embassy, then to the Colombian embassy, and finally over the border to Colombia.
However, the Chilean embassy was closed and the plan fellthrough, Rivas said.
Maduro said: “Today I can say we have convincing elements of the participation of Chilean, Colombian and Mexican diplomats in the protection of these people who undertook a terrorist act,” said Maduro, who also showed a video of Rivas allegedly being arrested.
Reuters was not able to corroborate the events described in the video.
Maduro did not provide evidence of the embassies’ alleged role. The Information Ministry did not respond immediately to a request for further information.
Government critics say Maduro frequently makes baseless accusations against ideologically opposed foreign nations in a bid to shift blame over Venezuela’s salary-destroying hyperinflation, major food shortages, and rampant crime.
Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said at the weekend Caracas had concluded that Chile, Colombia, and Mexico were involved in the attack.
All three countries refuted the accusations.
“Chile rejects the Venezuelan government’s slanderous accusations that have no credibility to successfully distract from the very serious humanitarian situation in the country,” Chile’s Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero told reporters on Monday.
(Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in CARACAS; Additional reporting by Antonio de la Jara in SANTIAGO; Editing by Paul Tait)
