International rightists foster Maduro's assassination
Assassination plans are being fostered by right-wing leaders internationally against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and other revolutionary leaders, as well as attempts against sister nations as Ecuador and Bolivia. Venezuelan minister of Interior relations, justice and peace Miguel Rodriguez Torres detailed such information last Wednesday night at an interview with Telesur network. According to intelligence investigations, ex-presidents of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, and Hondura, Roberto Micheletti (who took office after a coup against Manuel Zelaya) and terrorist Luis Posada Carriles would be involved in plots against the Venezuelan president. Meetings to arrange the plot would had been held outside Venezuela, in countries as Colombia, Panama and the United States and they took place since last month of April, before presidential elections in this South American nation. "The first information we have dates back to April 4, 2013. They agreed there to meet again to plan violent actions in Venezuela prior elections. People involved are Alvaro Uribe, Roberto Micheletti, a delegate from Posada Carriles, an officer we think is active in Colombia and an alleged CIA official," explained the Minister. There, they agreed to get in touch with Venezuelan far-rightists to carry out destabilizing actions, he added. "We saw some lights in Venezuela before the elections, such as rallies and protests, but they did not reach the target." The local extreme right, Rodriguez Torres said, is made by those who took part on an oil sabotage in Venezuela in 2003, violent actions at Altamira square in Caracas, riots and the assassination of attorney Danilo Anderson, as well as those who contracted paramilitary soldiers in 2004 to murder Hugo Chavez. "These have always been brazen, irresponsible people who have never been so brave as to accept their mistakes." A second meeting would had been held on April 29 to plan subversive actions from Colombia. Rodriguez Torres said information was received in San Antonio, bordering state of Tachira, about an alleged order to elements tied to Alvaro Uribe. "In that opportunity, they talked about a patriotic strategic plan and we have a document from a Colombian armed group which certifies this." A more dangerous action was undertaken since May 8, 2013 according to the Venezuelan minister: "They thought that such hysteric rage suffered by the Right when president Maduro won (on April 14), they would overthrow the new government and they realized it did not happen. So, they start to change destabilizing plans to a plan to assassinate the Venezuelan Head of state." For it, a meeting was held in Bogota, Colombia, with Cuban citizens who live in Florida, United States, he detailed. It was attended by Eduardo Macaya aka Eddie, member of an anticommunist group in Miami and link with Posada Carriles; aka Julio, member of an armed group in Miami "which had dreamed of murdering Fidel Castro, Chavez and now Maduro;" and Many, an 80-year-old man who provides resources. As a matter of fact, minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres said that in order to achieve the plan of attempting against president Maduro's life, these groups count on about 2.5 million dollars. A scheduled event Interior relations, justice and peace minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres informed that assassination plans against president Nicolas Maduro were scheduled for last July 24, when Venezuela commemorates the birthday of liberator Simon Bolivar. "They start talking about carrying out the assassination on July 24 and it is absolutely logical. They know what a President does on July 24 because it is historic. The President takes a floral tribute to the Pantheon, then goes to the National Assembly, to a parade; I mean, the President is exposed the entire day. It is a tradition. They know exactly what the President does that day. Not a great intelligence analysis is needed to find out that," Rodriguez Torres said. Assassination plans would include revolutionary leaders as National Assembly chairperson Diosdado Cabello and members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). "Armed men in Venezuela expected to go against several political targets. The main target was president Nicolas Maduro. They think that killing president Maduro they would divide Chavez's movement and so they think it is the main target." Harassment on behalf of local and international rightists to end with the Bolivarian Revolution has been reported since the year 2002 and up to date, commented minister Rodriguez Torres. "There is a very extremist group in the Right, that we have been monitoring, which we may not point it as involved in this but we know they are linked to Alvaro Uribe. Among them Henrique Capriles." In addition, Rodriguez Torres recalled that Uribe is well known for his ties to drug trafficking and paramilitarism. "Between June 21 and July 8, we have a long list of calls from these elements to another in Venezuela, which we are still investigating. We refer to five calls in which they talk about logistics, weapons, dates, extension and they were even planning to bring weapons to Venezuela through Venezuelan ports, which they could not do." Another meeting to discuss the assassination of the Venezuelan president took place at Hotel Holiday Inn Express, in Bogota, Colombia, on July 22. The minister said it dealt with changing the date of the plan and actions on Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas. "They baptized our president as Baby. As the plan had been leaked and they start to investigate how the information is leaking, they change the plan, change the date. They hold another meeting in the surroundings of the mentioned hotel the following day at 21:45 hours in a vehicle, where they even request intelligence labors over Miraflores Palace, pictures of Palace, so as to continue with intelligence labors and delay the date," he explained. Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres said rightists are talking now about carrying out their assassination plan against president Maduro by the second quarter of August. The plan now would include a sniper in a people assembly attended by Maduro in his Street Government program. "As they cannot do it in a date as the one they had on July 24, then they talk about monitoring Street Government to find a place where they may attempt against the President," Rodriguez Torres warned. Investigations are under way to get more details about the matter, he said, while all evidence will be submitted to the Public Ministry. Venezuelan bodies will reinforce the presidential security force and protect the Venezuelan people. "We have to watch for the security of our people and the president of the Republic," Rodriguez Torres affirmed. Other nations targeted Venezuelan minister of interior relations, justice and peace Miguel Rodriguez Torres warned that far-right groups have also discussed plots against the governments of Ecuador and Bolivia. Some groups proceed irrationally in the pursuit of power but they would abandon for the time being assassination plans disclosed by the Venezuelan government, he said. Those groups, Rodriguez Torres added, have as well rejected claims about oil sabotage by the end of 2002 and early 2003, as well as the 2002 coup against president Hugo Chavez; more recently, violent actions carried out on April 15-16 fostered by unconstitutional and fascist people, which resulted in 11 deaths and over 70 injured. As plots has been disclosed, these sectors cease their plans temporarily though actions against president Maduro go on, Rodriguez Torres stated. "While we cannot have access to masterminds of the plan, the best alternative is to denounce it regardless of what they may say," said the Minister and he added that Venezuelan intelligence groups are expected to request Colombia's support to go deeply into this investigation. Previous plans Previous investigations had also led to plans to carry out riots, seize the presidential palace and murder president Hugo Chavez during the last years have been, such as that which involved former metropolitan mayor of Caracas, Alfredo Peña, Orlando Urdaneta and Orbert Alonso. They had contracted a group of over 100 Colombian paramilitary soldiers back in 2004 for such action. "It is a complete group of extremist thinking with no moral, ethical or spiritual limitations to commit events of the kind and it is the same that wants to assassinate president Maduro today and murdered Danilo Anderson," he said. Furthermore, Rodriguez Torres mentioned Francisco Chavez Abarca, arrested in Venezuela in 2010. He figures in police records as accomplice and disciple of terrorist Luis Posada Carriles.