Bogota, Colombia (CNN) New videos obtained by CNN provide chilling insight into a mystery drone attack against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro last year—the world's first known attempt to kill a head of state with a retail drone, purchased online and armed by hand with military grade explosives.

One man has come forward as an organizer of the attack, saying it was perpetrated by a group of Venezuelan Army defectors and others. In an exclusive interview with CNN, he recounted how they prepared for the attack, and provided cell phone videos of their drones, explosives, and practice flights in the rural farmlands of Colombia.

"We have tried every peaceful and democratic way to bring an end to this tyranny that dresses itself as democracy," he told CNN on condition of anonymity, referring to the Maduro regime. "We have friends who are in custody, tortured. This was a hard decision."

He also acknowledged that the attack could have killed innocent civilians alongside their target. "That was the risk we had to take," he said. "We cared about that as the Venezuelan people are always the ones feeling the consequences."

Security forces check a nearby building after an explosion was heard during Maduro's speech.

The self-declared interim president of Venezuela, its opposition leader Juan Guaido, told CNN he disapproved of the attack.

Read More</s>The man who claims he planned the exploding-drone attack on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro along with defectors from the Venezuelan military has come forward to tell his story – to CNN, of all people.

The would-be drone bomber says he met with US officials three times after the attack that took place at a military parade in August last year. In an interview with CNN, he claims the US officials seemed receptive to giving them “things in return” for information about the assassination attempt.

A State Department spokesman declined to comment, saying only “Our policy is to support a peaceful transition in Venezuela.”

The assassin, who wished to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, provided video of the conspirators tinkering with the improvised drone bomb, which they reportedly built themselves in a farmhouse in Colombia using materials they purchased online from the US. His footage also showed the group practising flying the drones “high enough to not be seen,” then diving steeply to hit their target, before dismantling them and sneaking them into Venezuela.

The man acknowledged the attack could have killed innocent civilians, had the bombs not detonated prematurely when the cellular signal blockers protecting Maduro reactivated, but claimed he was desperate.

“We have tried every peaceful and democratic way to bring an end to this tyranny that dresses itself as democracy,” he told CNN, claiming he had friends who had been jailed and tortured by Maduro’s government.

While National Security Advisor John Bolton initially suggested the attack had been faked to create a “pretext” for a crackdown, US officials have since confirmed to CNN that they believe it was a “genuine attack gone wrong.”

Self-appointed president Juan Guaido believes the attack was staged, telling CNN, “I think this was something internal, done by the government. It ends up making them look like victims.”

Maduro ultimately blamed the “Venezuelan ultra-right in alliance with the Colombian extreme right” for the attack.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!</s>One of the masterminds behind an attack on Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro claims to have used an online-bought drone fitted with hand grenades in a plot planned at a rural farmhouse in Colombia, according to reports.

The organizer of the attack spoke anonymously to CNN, telling the network: 'We have tried every peaceful and democratic way to bring an end to this tyranny that dresses itself as democracy.

'We have friends who are in custody, tortured. This was a hard decision.'

Footage appears to show those behind the attack taking the drones - bought over the web from the United States - on test runs in rural Colombia.

Video provided by the perpetrator shows the group flying the drones at green gazebo targets during the day and night.

It also shows them trying to read instructions in Chinese on the drone packaging and building the bomb.

Amid an idyllic backdrop the group try to fly the drones high before sending them down low. The devices would later be dismantled and taken into Venezuela.

The attacker, who says Colombia was not involved in the assault, also claims to have met with US officials three times after the failed assassination attempt.

He said: 'After, they set up three meetings which I imagine was to collect information to study the case, but it didn't go past that.

'They wanted to get information and then we asked for things in return. They took notes on this, and we asked if they would be able to help. Then they simply left with their notes, and they never appeared again.'

There is no proof of the meetings, CNN reports, and a US State Department spokesman declined to comment on the allegation.

In the aftermath of the attack questions were raised about whether it was faked.

Maduro had been addressing a military parade in Caracas on live TV, when he suddenly halted and looked to the sky after hearing an explosion.

He and his wife Cilia Flores were swamped with aides carrying bulletproof shields but both escaped uninjured.

Video showed hundreds of soldiers who were assembled in neat formation on a wide road scatter in all directions amid the sound of screaming.

In the months following Venezuela plunged into deeper political chaos triggered by the U.S. demand that Maduro step down a month into a second term that the U.S. and its allies in Latin America consider illegitimate.

His opponent, the 35-year-old Juan Guaido, burst onto the political stage in January in the first viable challenge in years to Maduro's hold on power.

As head of the Congress, Guaido declared himself interim president on Jan. 23, saying he had a constitutional right to assume presidential powers from the 'tyrant' Maduro.

The escalating crisis is taking place against a backdrop of economic and social turmoil that has led to severe shortages of food and medicine that have forced millions to flee the once-prosperous OPEC nation.</s>New videos obtained by CNN provide chilling insight into a mystery drone attack against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro last year-the world's first known attempt to kill a head of state with a retail drone,One man has come forward as an organizer of the attack,. In an exclusive interview with CNN, he recounted how they prepared for the attack, and provided cell phone videos of their drones, explosives, and practice flights in the rural farmlands of Colombia."We have tried every peaceful and democratic way to bring an end to this tyranny that dresses itself as democracy," he told CNN on condition of anonymity, referring to the Maduro regime. "We have friends who are in custody, tortured. This was a hard decision."He also acknowledged that the attackalongside their target.he said. "We cared about that as the Venezuelan people are always the ones feeling the consequences.""Such options are not good," he said. He added that. "I think this was something internal, done by the government. It ends up making them look like victims."US National Security advisor John Bolton said the morning after the attack that it might have been faked to provide the Maduro government with a "pretext," perhaps for a crackdown.As Maduro addressed a military parade on Avenida Bolivar, one of the capital's main thoroughfares, the sound of an explosion suddenly scattered civilians and soldiers alike. State news cameras and social media at the event captured fragmented images of mass confusion - smoke rising above the city, a formation of soldiers scattering, bodyguards leaping to shield the president.Only later would the story be pieced together: Two small drones flying over the event had exploded. Neither was close enough to do lethal damage, though seven members of the Venezuelan National Guard were injured. An unharmed Maduro would later say that he thought the explosions were fireworks.In the aftermath, dozens of people were arrested as Venezuelan officials launched an investigation to work out who had orchestrated the apparent attack. Some were tortured, activists say, while others on the government's list of suspects remain at large. Maduro also blamed far-right activists and the Colombian government, which denied any responsibility.The attack organizer told CNN that Colombia was not involved. He said that the drone attack was orchestrated by a groupdefectors from the Venezuelan military, with the aim to assassinate Maduro.The attacker claimed that. "After, they set up three meetings which I imagine was to collect information to study the case, but it didn't go past that," he said."They wanted to get information and then we asked for things in return. They took notes on this, and we asked if they would be able to help.."A US State Department spokesman declined to comment on the alleged meetings, but said: "Our policy is to support atransition in Venezuela." CNN has not found proof that the meetings happened.The plan was foiled by guards who caused the drones to explode prematurely, the attacker says.The Venezuelan government's account of the attack, provided by the interior minister,, including the drones' flight paths.The attack was prepared on a rented farm in rural Colombia. Weeks before Maduro's speech, the Venezuelan defectors had ordered commercially available drones online from the United States, and customized them to detonate a homemade bomb through the remote control app.In the videos the defector provided to CNN, you can hear men complaining that the drones' screws are too tiny. It's hard to read the Chinese lettering on the boxes, one says.Videos also show the group practicing the tricky bit: flying the drones high enough to avoid detection, and then swooping down at a steep angle to strike their target. They practice in different scenarios: amid green hills over a swimming pool, launched out of a car window, under cover of night. One drone would be later blown up in a test.Later, they dismantle the machines to be smuggled across the border into Venezuela. Once back in their homeland, they would slowly rebuild the two drones destined for the president.
A CNN reporter alleges an unnamed source has provided new video details about the August 2018 drone explosion in Caracas, claiming that it was part of a plot to kill Nicolás Maduro.