Venezuela’s opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, today denied any involvement in the maritime invasion over the weekend, which resulted in eight deaths and which the Venezuelan President said was intended to kill him.
According to a released statement, quoted by the Associated Press, Guaidó stressed that he has “no relationship or responsibility for any actions” perpetrated by a private security company owned by former US military Jordan Goudreau.
The ex-combatant insists that the company he owns has a contract with the self-proclaimed President of the country – which is recognized by about 60 countries, including the United States.
However, Goudreau said the operation carried out over the weekend had no support from either Guaidó or Washington.
The purpose of the maritime invasion, from Colombia, was “to liberate Venezuela”, but this “will take time”.
Venezuela’s National Constituent Assembly (ANC) president, Diosdado Cabello, said on Saturday that eight people had died and at least two were detained due to a failed attempt at maritime invasion near Caracas.
The incident happened on Saturday morning, according to the government.
“Eight people died and two were arrested in the operation (…). An action by mercenaries, a coup against the institutions of our country, an incursion in which the right wing will certainly justify what happened,” said Cabello from ANC headquarters , constitutional convention created by President Nicolás Maduro, composed only of those loyal to his Government, which demands power over existing institutions, namely the parliament elected in 2015.
The Venezuelan opposition, however, accused the Government of “fabricating” the assembly of a maritime invasion, by alleged mercenaries, who wanted to carry out a coup.
“A fabricated montage or a criminal act manipulated by the dictatorship to continue the persecution of the interim government, the National Assembly and democratic forces,” denounced the opposition leader and parliamentary president, Juan Guaidó.
The complaint was made through a statement in which the opposition says that “the regime seeks to divert attention” from the country’s situation to “a supposed event full of inconsistencies, doubts and contradictions”.
The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, claimed that the maritime invasion thwarted on Sunday by his government, had as his “central objective” his assassination.
“The objective was to assassinate me, the main objective (of the invasion) was to kill the President of Venezuela. It was a terrorist attack in the middle of a pandemic, while the people were at peace. A terrorist attack against Venezuela’s tranquility and peace, ”he said.
The Venezuelan Government has also blamed the United States and Colombia for the “unpredictable consequences” of the alleged failed attempt at maritime invasion.
Caracas also announced the mobilization of 25,000 military personnel to find rebel cells in the country.
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