The US State Department has rejected accusations of CIA involvement in a purported plot to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The claims arose after Venezuelan authorities arrested three Americans, two Spaniards, and a Czech national on Saturday, alleging they were part of a conspiracy led by the CIA to overthrow the Venezuelan government.
Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s interior minister, revealed the accusations during a state television broadcast, where he stated the arrested individuals, including a US Navy member, were involved in the plot. Cabello also displayed images of rifles, which he claimed were confiscated from the suspects.
The US State Department confirmed the detention of a US military member and acknowledged reports of two additional US citizens detained in Venezuela. However, the department strongly denied any involvement in the plot, stating, “Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.”
The incident comes shortly after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 of Maduro’s allies, accusing them of obstructing voting in Venezuela’s contested July 28 presidential election and committing human rights violations.
Recent tensions between Venezuela and the US have been exacerbated by the disputed election results. Venezuela’s electoral council declared Maduro the winner with 52% of the vote, but opposition activists published evidence suggesting that the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, had won. Protests have erupted across the country, leading to hundreds of arrests. Despite international pressure, Venezuela’s supreme court upheld Maduro’s victory, while Gonzalez fled to Spain to avoid arrest on conspiracy charges.
Maduro, in power since 2013, has long alleged that the US is working to undermine his presidency through sanctions and covert efforts. Historically, his administration has used detained Americans as bargaining chips, as seen in a 2023 deal in which Maduro released 10 US citizens in exchange for a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally convicted of money laundering.
