MADRID (Reuters) – Two Spanish nationals arrested in Venezuela had no hyperlinks to the Spanish secret service and Spain was not concerned in any plan to politically destabilize the South American nation, a Spanish international ministry supply mentioned on Sunday.
Two Spaniards, three U.S. residents and a Czech citizen have been arrested in Venezuela on suspicion of hyperlinks to alleged plans to destabilize the South American nation, Venezuela’s inside minister mentioned on Saturday.
“Spain denies and absolutely rejects any insinuation of being implicated in an operation of political destabilization in Venezuela,” the Spanish international ministry supply mentioned.
“The government has confirmed that the (two Spanish citizens) detained do not form part of the Centre for National Intelligence or any state organisation. Spain defends a democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Venezuela.”
The arrests are prone to deepen Venezuela’s already tense relations with Spain and the USA after a disputed presidential election in July.
Venezuelan Inside Minister Diosdado Cabello instructed a pressconference on Saturday that two Spaniards have been allegedly linked to Spain’s secret service and have been planning the assassination of a mayor.
He named the Spaniards as José María Basoa and Andrés Martínez Adasne. Images of the boys have been proven on state tv.
Cabello additionally accused three U.S. residents and a Czech ofinvolvement in terrorist acts, together with alleged plans to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and different officers.
The U.S. State Division mentioned on Saturday that “any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false.”
The State Division spokesperson additionally confirmed {that a} “member of the U.S. military” was being held and famous “unconfirmed reports of two additional U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela.”
On Saturday, a Spanish international ministry supply instructed Reuters it was asking Venezuela for extra data.
“The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to theVenezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizensin order to verify their identities and their nationality and inorder to know what they are accused of exactly,” the sourcesaid, talking on situation of anonymity.
The Spanish nationals have been detained whereas taking photographsin the city of Puerto Ayacucho, Cabello mentioned.
Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Spain final week forconsultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to seem atthe international ministry after a Spanish minister accused Maduro ofrunning a “dictatorship,” escalating diplomatic tensionsfollowing Venezuela’s disputed presidential election.
Caracas was additionally angered by Spanish PrimeMinister Pedro Sanchez’ resolution to satisfy final Thursday with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain final week after being threatened with arrest by Maduro’s regime.
Tensions between Venezuela and the USA have additionally intensified after Washington recognised Gonzalez Urrutia as thewinner of the July 28 election.
