CARACAS – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused former Colombian leader Álvaro Uribe of planning to hire mercenaries to assassinate him.

The alleged assassination attempt, according to Maduro, was reported to have occurred in August last year during a military parade in Caracas. At the time, the Venezuelan head of state emerged unscathed from a drone attack that left seven agents of his personal guard injured. Following this episode, Maduro accused several authorities and politicians, from Venezuela and Colombia, of planning the attack, under orders from the United States.

“I learned of a plan coordinated by Álvaro Uribe Velez involving Colombia’s ambassador to the United States, Francisco Santo, to send 32 mercenaries to Venezuela to try to kill me,” Maduro said during a speech on Wednesday night.

Despite Maduro’s allegations, both Bogota and Washington deny any involvement in the frustrated attack on Maduro in 2018.

Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Trujillo traveled to the United States last year to discuss the political and social situation in Venezuela that led to high immigration, shortly after Senator and former President Alvaro Uribe called for “legal intervention” in the Caribbean country.

Uribe, leader of the Democratic Center, to which Trujillo and Duque belong, made the remarks just before the foreign minister’s visit to the United States began.

In an interview with local Caracol radio, Duke said a US-led military intervention “is not the way” to resolve the situation in Venezuela.

However, Uribe justified the intervention because – he argued – Venezuelan immigration exceeds all capabilities of the country and recalled that Duque leads the establishment of an international fund to address this crisis.

Uribe compared the Venezuelan crisis in Colombia with Europe and warned of the risks it entails.

On the subject, Uribe noted that Chile received about 450,000 Venezuelans, “mainly by land, crossing the entire territory of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.” </s> CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday accused former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe of plotting to assassinate him in cohorts with Colombia’s U.S. ambassador Francisco Santos, and exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Lester Toledo.

It was not the first time Maduro, a socialist, accused politicians from neighboring Colombia of plotting against him, as relations between the two countries deteriorate amid an economic crisis in Venezuela that has prompted more than one million migrants to settle in Colombia.

During a state television broadcast on Wednesday evening, Maduro gave a detailed account of how the three plotted the attack from “a bunker” in a house belonging to Uribe, a right-wing leader who has been an outspoken critic of Maduro and his predecessor and mentor, the late former President Hugo Chavez.

“It is a plan for 32 mercenaries to enter [Venezuela] to try to assassinate me and leaders of the revolution,” Maduro said. “But we are here, protected by God.”

Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes denied the allegation in a post on Twitter, saying the government “rejects the delirious and slanderous accusations by the dictator Maduro against two Colombians who have dedicated their lives to serving democracy.”

A press advisor to Uribe did not respond to a request for comment. Toledo, who is based in Colombia, has been designated by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as his international coordinator for efforts to bring in humanitarian aid. He could not be reached for comment.

Maduro frequently calls current Colombian President Ivan Duque a “lackey” for U.S. interests. Maduro has accused Colombia and the United States of being behind a drone explosion at a military parade last year, which he describes as an assassination attempt. </s> CARACAS, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday accused former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe of plotting to assassinate him in cohorts with Colombia's U.S. ambassador Francisco Santos, and exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Lester Toledo.

It was not the first time Maduro, a socialist, accused politicians from neighboring Colombia of plotting against him, as relations between the two countries deteriorate amid an economic crisis in Venezuela that has prompted more than one million migrants to settle in Colombia.

During a state television broadcast on Wednesday evening, Maduro gave a detailed account of how the three plotted the attack from "a bunker" in a house belonging to Uribe, a right-wing leader who has been an outspoken critic of Maduro and his predecessor and mentor, the late former President Hugo Chavez.

Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes denied the allegation in a post on Twitter, saying the government "rejects the delirious and slanderous accusations by the dictator Maduro against two Colombians who have dedicated their lives to serving democracy."

A press advisor to Uribe did not respond to a request for comment. Toledo, who is based in Colombia, has been designated by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as his international coordinator for efforts to bring in humanitarian aid. He could not be reached for comment.

Maduro frequently calls current Colombian President Ivan Duque a "lackey" for U.S. interests. Maduro has accused Colombia and the United States of being behind a drone explosion at a military parade last year, which he describes as an assassination attempt. </s> CARACAS — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday accused former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe of plotting to assassinate him in cohorts with Colombia’s U.S. ambassador Francisco Santos, and exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Lester Toledo.

It was not the first time Maduro, a socialist, accused politicians from neighboring Colombia of plotting against him, as relations between the two countries deteriorate amid an economic crisis in Venezuela that has prompted more than one million migrants to settle in Colombia.

During a state television broadcast on Wednesday evening, Maduro gave a detailed account of how the three plotted the attack from “a bunker” in a house belonging to Uribe, a right-wing leader who has been an outspoken critic of Maduro and his predecessor and mentor, the late former President Hugo Chavez.

“It is a plan for 32 mercenaries to enter to try to assassinate me and leaders of the revolution,” Maduro said. “But we are here, protected by God.”

Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes denied the allegation in a post on Twitter, saying the government “rejects the delirious and slanderous accusations by the dictator Maduro against two Colombians who have dedicated their lives to serving democracy.”

A press advisor to Uribe did not respond to a request for comment. Toledo, who is based in Colombia, has been designated by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as his international coordinator for efforts to bring in humanitarian aid. He could not be reached for comment.

Maduro frequently calls current Colombian President Ivan Duque a “lackey” for U.S. interests. Maduro has accused Colombia and the United States of being behind a drone explosion at a military parade last year, which he describes as an assassination attempt. (Reporting by Corina Pons; additional reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb in Bogota; Writing by Luc Cohen; editing by Grant McCool) </s> CARACAS, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday accused former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe of plotting to assassinate him in cohorts with Colombia's U.S. ambassador Francisco Santos, and exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Lester Toledo.

It was not the first time Maduro, a socialist, accused politicians from neighboring Colombia of plotting against him, as relations between the two countries deteriorate amid an economic crisis in Venezuela that has prompted more than one million migrants to settle in Colombia.

During a state television broadcast on Wednesday evening, Maduro gave a detailed account of how the three plotted the attack from "a bunker" in a house belonging to Uribe, a right-wing leader who has been an outspoken critic of Maduro and his predecessor and mentor, the late former President Hugo Chavez.

"It is a plan for 32 mercenaries to enter to try to assassinate me and leaders of the revolution," Maduro said. "But we are here, protected by God."

Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes denied the allegation in a post on Twitter, saying the government "rejects the delirious and slanderous accusations by the dictator Maduro against two Colombians who have dedicated their lives to serving democracy."

A press advisor to Uribe did not respond to a request for comment. Toledo, who is based in Colombia, has been designated by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as his international coordinator for efforts to bring in humanitarian aid. He could not be reached for comment.

Maduro frequently calls current Colombian President Ivan Duque a "lackey" for U.S. interests. Maduro has accused Colombia and the United States of being behind a drone explosion at a military parade last year, which he describes as an assassination attempt. (Reporting by Corina Pons; additional reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb in Bogota; Writing by Luc Cohen; editing by Grant McCool) </s> FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a ceremony to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Battle in the Vargas Swamp at the National Pantheon in Caracas, Venezuela July 25, 2019. Picture taken July 25, 2019. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday accused former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe of plotting to assassinate him in cohorts with Colombia’s U.S. ambassador Francisco Santos, and exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Lester Toledo.

It was not the first time Maduro, a socialist, accused politicians from neighboring Colombia of plotting against him, as relations between the two countries deteriorate amid an economic crisis in Venezuela that has prompted more than one million migrants to settle in Colombia.

During a state television broadcast on Wednesday evening, Maduro gave a detailed account of how the three plotted the attack from “a bunker” in a house belonging to Uribe, a right-wing leader who has been an outspoken critic of Maduro and his predecessor and mentor, the late former President Hugo Chavez.

“It is a plan for 32 mercenaries to enter [Venezuela] to try to assassinate me and leaders of the revolution,” Maduro said. “But we are here, protected by God.”

Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes denied the allegation in a post on Twitter, saying the government “rejects the delirious and slanderous accusations by the dictator Maduro against two Colombians who have dedicated their lives to serving democracy.”

A press advisor to Uribe did not respond to a request for comment. Toledo, who is based in Colombia, has been designated by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as his international coordinator for efforts to bring in humanitarian aid. He could not be reached for comment.

Maduro frequently calls current Colombian President Ivan Duque a “lackey” for U.S. interests. Maduro has accused Colombia and the United States of being behind a drone explosion at a military parade last year, which he describes as an assassination attempt. </s> Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denounced Wednesday a plan directed by the former president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, to enter the country with mercenaries in order to assassinate the head of state and commit other violent acts to destabilize the nation.

Maduro said he has received intelligence information that indicated that the ex-leader of Colombia and right-wing political figure is trying to carry out his killing in collaboration with the current ambassador of Colombia in the United States, along with Venezuelan ultra-right leaders.

"I have learned of a plan directed by Alvaro Uribe Velez with the participation of the Colombian ambassador to the United States, Franciscano Santos, who has discussed with Lester Toledo, a fugitive from Venezuelan justice, to enter Venezuela (with) 32 mercenaries to try to assassinate me and other leaders of the revolution," said Maduro from the presidential palace in Caracas. Maduro says that Uribe, who has strong links to extra-judicial killings and the narco-arms trade in his own country, was concoting this plan from his home in Antioquia.

The president said that Venezuela will overcome all violent and mercenary plans. The claim comes days after seven Colombian paramilitaries were captured by Venezuela on the border between the two countries. The paramilitaries were found with firearms, ammunition, vehicles and communication devices. The arrests took place in the western state of Tachira and was a part of the governments Simon Bolívar Liberation Campaign.

Since July 24 alone, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) of Venezuela have arrested 49 Colombian paramilitaries in their territory and seized almost 3,000 kilos of drugs.

Current Colombian President Ivan Duque, who many say is the puppet of Uribe, has also participated in directly destabalizing Venezuela by taking part in the failed U.S. 'aid' mission to bring in truck loads of supplies from Cucuta, Colombia into Venezuela. </s> BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2019) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that Colombia's former President Alvaro Uribe Velez had planned to hire mercenaries to assassinate him.

The failed assassination of Maduro took place in early August 2018 during a military parade in the Venezuelan capital. The president was left unharmed while seven security officers were injured in the incident. Back then, Venezuela's Foreign Ministry also mentioned former Venezuelan Prosecutor General Luisa Ortega Diaz, Colombia's former President, Juan Manuel Santos, and one of the Venezuelan opposition leaders, Julio Borges, among those behind the attempt to assassinate Maduro, alongside Uribe.

"I have learned about a plan coordinated by Alvaro Uribe Velez involving Colombian Ambassador to the United States Francisco Santo ... to send 32 mercenaries to Venezuela to try to kill me," Maduro said in a speech, aired live on his Twitter late on Wednesday.

Maduro has repeatedly claimed that the United States instructed Colombia to organize his assassination, something denied by both Bogota and Washington. </s> The presidential box was hit by an explosion caused by two bomb-laden drones, leaving Maduro unharmed, while seven security officers were injured in the incident.

Back then, Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry also mentioned former Venezuelan Prosecutor General Luisa Ortega Diaz, Colombia’s former President, Juan Manuel Santos, and one of the Venezuelan opposition leaders, Julio Borges, among those behind the attempt to assassinate Maduro, alongside Uribe.

"I have learned about a plan coordinated by Alvaro Uribe Velez involving Colombian Ambassador to the United States Francisco Santo […] to send 32 mercenaries to Venezuela to try to kill me", Maduro said in a speech, aired live on his Twitter late on Wednesday.

Maduro has repeatedly claimed that the United States instructed Colombia to organize his assassination, something denied by both Bogota and Washington.

Last week, the Venezuelan president said that he had evidence, proving that US National Security Adviser John Bolton had masterminded the 2018 attempted assassination of the Venezuelan leader. In December 2018, Maduro accused Bolton of preparing a plan to overthrow and kill him.

Both Bogota and Washington have also denied any involvement in the incident.

Venezuela is experiencing a political crisis that intensified in January after the US-backed opposition leader, Juan Guaido, illegally proclaimed himself interim president.

The United States immediately recognized Guaido, after which some 50 other countries followed suit. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia and a number of other states have, in the meantime, voiced their support for the legitimate government of constitutionally-elected Maduro.

The United States, as well as the European Union, has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Venezuela and froze its assets.

Maduro has called Guaido a US puppet and accused Washington of orchestrating a change of government in order to claim Venezuelan natural resources. </s> CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan authorities have freed a prominent opposition activist jailed for four years just days after an anti-government politician died in state custody. Lorent Saleh was immediately escorted to the airport and put on a flight to Madrid with Spanish government officials.

News of Saleh’s release on Friday came as a shock to his supporters, and even his mother, who rushed to a Caracas jail expecting to receive her son only to learn he had been sent to Europe.

“I didn’t know anything about this. I thought he’d be turned over here, but what’s important is that he’s free,” a weeping Yamile Saleh told journalists outside the jail.

“He tried to calm me, saying he is with people he trusts,” she said after speaking to her son by phone. “We have to take care of Lorent’s life. There are things I can’t answer.”

A government truth commission said Saleh was at risk of causing harm to himself after being evaluated for suicidal tendencies while imprisoned. It said it was decided he should be released as part of efforts to ease political tensions in the South American nation.

Spain released a statement following Saleh’s arrival to Madrid on Saturday saying that diplomat Juan Pablo de Laiglesia had traveled with Saleh. It added that De Laiglesia had been in Caracas from Oct. 9-12 while “he held meetings with members of the (Venezuelan) government, representatives of the opposition, civil society organizations, and Spanish associations and companies.”

Saleh’s mother had mounted an international campaign to secure her son’s release.

Saleh, 30, was arrested in Colombia in 2014 and extradited by then Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos after appearing on a video phone call leaked by Venezuelan authorities bragging to an unknown person about plans to hire sharpshooters to sow unrest in Venezuela.

Santos, a future Nobel Peace Prize winner, was at the time seeking to curry favor with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was sponsoring peace talks between Santos’ government and leftist rebels.

Further fueling the Venezuelan government’s narrative that Saleh was plotting terrorist acts with international support, he was also photographed alongside prominent right-wing politicians such as former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

His extradition was widely condemned by human rights groups, who argued he could never get a fair trial in Venezuela and would be subjected to harsh conditions of confinement.

In 2017, he was one of several anti-government activists the opposition considers political prisoners awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European parliament.

His release capped a tumultuous week that saw another anti-government activist, Caracas area councilman Fernando Alban, fall from the 10th floor of a police building where he was being held.

Authorities have called Alban’s death a suicide, but opposition leaders have alleged — so far without evidence — that he was murdered while in custody. Several foreign governments and the United Nations have called for an independent investigation to determine whether foul play was involved.

Alban was arrested last week at Caracas’ international airport upon arriving from a trip to the U.N. General Assembly in New York to press foreign officials to apply more pressure on Maduro’s government. The government said he was being investigated for his alleged involvement in an August attack on Maduro with explosives-laden drones.

Spain said in its statement that it considered Saleh’s release “the correct decision by the Venezuelan government to move in the correct direction of helping generate a climate of trust.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro gives a speech wherein he accuses former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, Uribe's Vice President Francisco Santos Calderón, and Venezuelan politician Lester Toledo [es] of planning to kill him.