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Venezuela's interior minister Nestor Reverol said on Sunday afternoon that six people had been arrested in the case of drones loaded with explosives that were used as part of an attack against President Nicolas Maduro a day earlier while he was delivering a speech during a military event.
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Reverol said in a statement on the official television station that one of the "terrorists" participated in an attack on a military base in the central city of Valencia in 2017, while another was part of violent anti-government protests in 2014.
He also indicated that the police confiscated several vehicles and film evidence for the failed attempt against Maduro.
The attack against President Maduro took place at the 81st anniversary of the Bolivarian National Guard, in which two drones carrying explosives were detonated near the presidential platform, injuring seven military personnel and halting Maduro mid-speech.
The investigations have shown that it is a crime of terrorism and assassination, the minister explained, "which makes it clear that they have gone to a higher level of violence," he said. He added that it was an attack not only against the president but also against the people of Venezuela.
He further said that each of the intercepted drones carried a kilo of explosives c4 capable of effective damage within a radius of 50 meters. They were piloted aircraft remotely and designed for industrial work and can withstand heavy loads. "Thanks to the special techniques of our Presidential Guard it was possible to deactivate the drone," he explained.
In turn, he confirmed that seven soldiers were injured and that they are being treated. "These terrorist acts demonstrate a slap to the policies of dialogue and national reconciliation promoted by President Nicolás Maduro," the minister added.
Messages and statements of support and solidarity from World leaders, governments, and intellectuals continued pouring in Sunday as they condemned the assassination attempt against the Venezuelan leader.
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