The Citizen Security minister announced a full suspension of flights from Colombia.

On Monday, Venezuela’s Minister of Citizen Security Diosdado Cabello confirmed the arrest of 38 people allegedly linked to far-right plans to sabotage the country’s upcoming elections, scheduled for May 25.

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Among those detained are 17 foreign nationals, including explosives experts, human traffickers and mercenaries — several of them from Colombia — who were carrying “electric detonators,” Cabello said.

He alleged the groups are attempting to create an international narrative that undermines the Venezuelan electoral process by claiming that “there are no conditions to vote” in the country, despite the fact that the electoral timeline has been fully observed.

“I must thank the smoke sellers of the opposition, because when they speak of ‘signals,’ we’ve already detected the information and acted to stop their attacks,” Cabello said during a press conference. He stated that the far-right terrorists were planning explosive attacks targeting embassies, hospitals, police stations and political figures.

As an immediate measure, the Bolivarian minister announced a full suspension of flights from Colombia, claiming that terrorists were entering the country “as tourists” to carry out attacks. Providing further details of the alleged plot, Cabello accused drug trafficking groups of participating in the sabotage plan, stating they had trained in paramilitary camps in Ecuador.

He also directly linked former Colombian presidents Alvaro Uribe and Ivan Duque to the plot, citing their alleged past ties to paramilitarism and international drug trafficking. Cabello said one of the detainees is an Albanian-born Colombian national, who is internationally wanted for drug trafficking and was found carrying a legal firearm issued in Colombia.

Another individual allegedly involved is Ivan Simonovis, whom Cabello identified as the operational leader of the conspirators from abroad. The minister also mentioned the involvement of a Venezuelan military officer who is reportedly under the protection of the United States.

“The instruction is clear: maximum caution and nerves of steel. While we are here, several locations in Caracas and other regions are being raided as part of the investigations,” Cabello said, emphasizing that President Nicolas Maduro will continue to guarantee peace in the country in the face of such threats.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: VTV

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