A total of 33 Venezuelan soldiers, including nine high-ranking soldiers, have been demoted and expelled from the armed forces for their alleged involvement in the “murder plots” denounced by the authorities this week, the government of Nicolás Maduro reported on Wednesday (01/24/2024).
The Ministry of Defense reported that “in accordance with the order of citizen Nicolás Maduro Moros, Constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, our Commander-in-Chief, the demotion and expulsion of a group of military personnel was carried out.”
One division general, two colonels, six lieutenant colonels, nine majors, two captains, six first lieutenants and seven sergeants are identified in the text by first and last name.
These officials are allegedly “engaged in conspiracies by planning criminal and terrorist actions to attack the legally constituted system of government, the authorities and institutions of the State and the Venezuelan people, and are even considering the assassination of the first national leader, all representatives of this kind “Treason,” said the statement signed by Minister Vladimir Padrino.
Venezuelan prosecutors reported the arrest of 32 people, including civilians and military personnel, on Monday and announced additional arrests on Tuesday, without specifying a number.
They are all linked to five suspected plots to assassinate Maduro that were uncovered in 2023 and earlier this year, according to Attorney General Tarek William Saab, who also accused the complicity of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the U.S. Secret Service (CIA) denounced. .as well as actors from the Colombian army. Padrino also agreed with these allegations.
ct (afp, efe)