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Caracas (AFP)
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, on Friday accused the CIA and the United States Southern Command of planning his assassination, rhetorically wondering if his American counterpart, Jose Biden, authorized them.
“Will Joe Biden have ratified Donald Trump’s orders to lead Venezuela into a civil war and kill us? Yes or no? I ask,” Maduro said in an act of military promotions, referring to visits by CIA director William Burns, and the head of the Southern Command, Admiral Craig Faller, to neighboring Colombia and Brazil.
“What did they do? Our sources in Colombia assure us (…) that they have come to prepare a plan to attempt against my life and against the lives of important political and military leaders (…) Has President Joe Biden authorized The plan to assassinate me and to assassinate important political and military leaders of Venezuela? Yes or no? “, he added.
Maduro, who did not present evidence, frequently denounces coup plans, military invasions or assassinations, blaming the United States and regional allies such as Colombia or Brazil, who ignore his re-election in 2018 by calling him fraudulent and symbolically recognizing him as president in charge of Venezuela to the opposition leader Juan Guaidó, although the socialist president maintains power.
Maduro’s relations with Trump were especially tense.
The former US president imposed severe financial sanctions on Venezuela and the state-owned oil company PDVSA, while even stating that “all options,” including the military, were on the table with respect to the Caribbean country.
The Chavista government said it had thwarted a maritime incursion in 2020 by mercenaries from Colombia and backed by Washington who sought to overthrow it. Two former US military personnel, Luke Alexander Denman and Airan Berry, were then arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison, accused among other crimes of terrorism.
While it still does not recognize Maduro, the Joe Biden administration has distanced itself from Trump’s line on the Venezuelan crisis.
The United States and the European Union declared last Friday, in a joint statement with Canada, that they were willing to “review” the sanctions against the Caribbean country if there were progress in a government-opposition negotiation that would lead to “credible local, legislative and presidential elections. , inclusive and transparent “.
Venezuela will hold elections for governors and mayors in November. The main opposition parties have not clarified whether they will participate, after boycotting the 2018 presidential elections and the 2020 parliamentary elections.
© 2021 AFP
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