US Denies Involvement in Venezuela Coup Plot as Maduro@Suppresses Opposition
The United States has categorically denied being part of a plot aimed at overthrowing Nicolás Maduro‘s government and carrying out "terrorist actions" in Venezuela. These accusations come as the country prepares for Friday’s presidential inauguration.
"Any claim that the United States is involved in a plot to overthrow Maduro is categorically false," said a US State Department official. "The United States continues to support a democratic solution to Venezuela’s political crisis," they added.
Earlier this week, Venezuelan authorities detained two American citizens, whom they labeled as "mercenaries" planning "terrorist acts." According to Maduro, one of the detainees is a high-ranking military official, and the other, a high-ranking official from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Washington, however, has expressed concern about the detentions and the accusations, emphasizing that there is no connection between the detained citizens and the alleged plans. The State Department is working to gather more information but noted that this is not the first time Venezuela has detained US citizens without justification or due process.
The United States has consistently backed opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia since the July 28 elections, recognizing him as the president-elect and welcoming him to its territory during his tour of the continent.
Last Monday, González Urrutia held a "long, productive, and cordial" meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House, with Washington expressing its support for "this struggle for Venezuela’s democratic recovery." However, González Urrutia’s visits to other countries and Washington’s support have been met with increased repression and intimidation in Venezuela.
In the hours leading up to the presidential inauguration, the Maduro regime has detained several opposition members and deployed heavy security around the home of opposition leader María Corina Machado’s mother. The opposition also reported the forced disappearance of the director of the NGO Espacio Público, Carlos Correa, and the arrest of the former president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Enrique Márquez.
The United States and the international community continue to monitor the situation in Venezuela closely, condemning the Maduro regime’s ongoing human rights abuses and repression of political dissent.
