Newsman: The State Department on Sunday denied Venezuela’s claim the U.S. was trying to overthrow the government and assassinate President Nicolas Maduro, saying the U.S. seeks a democratic solution to the political crisis.
Venezuela Interior minister Diosdado Cabello alleged Saturday in a news conference claimed that the alleged plot was led by the CIA, and aimed at assassinating Maduro.
Cabello identified the purported Navy SEAL as Wilbert Castañeda, and claimed he was the leader of the operation. The minister also named two other detained Americans: David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.
“The CIA is at the forefront of this operation,” Cabello said in the news conference, claiming that Spain’s National Intelligence Center was also involved. “That does not surprise us at all,” he said.
He alleged that the operation had “very clear objectives of assassinating President Nicolás Maduro” and other high-ranking Venezuelan politicians including himself and the vice president.
“We from Venezuela demand that the Unites States government clarify the participation of its agency, that it clarify (its plans) to traffic arms to overthrow a democratically constituted government,” Cabello said.
The State Department confirmed on Saturday a member of the US military had been arrested in Venezuela, and that the department was “aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained” in the country.
The department is seeking additional information, the spokesperson said.
The US State Department called the allegations “categorically false,” adding in a statement that the United States “continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.”
