Fourth US Citizen Detained in Venezuela Over Alleged Plot to Kill Maduro

Venezuelan authorities on Sept. 17 detained a fourth U.S. citizen for allegedly being involved in a plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said during the National Assembly on Sept. 17 that an American man was arrested in Caracas after he was found taking photos of electrical and oil installations and military units.
Cabello alleged that the man was “part of the plot against Venezuela,” but he did not offer details about the individual’s identity.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry has urged Venezuelan authorities to provide “verified information” regarding the arrest of two Spaniards and to offer “a clarification of the charges they are accused of.”
The ministry stated on Sept. 16 that its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, was in contact with the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry. The Czech Foreign Ministry has also demanded information about the arrest of its citizen.
The arrest of the fourth U.S. citizen came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone discussion with Venezuelan opposition leaders Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado also on Sept. 17.
Tensions have surged in Venezuela following the country’s July 28 presidential election, the results of which have sparked nationwide protests.
The Venezuelan Electoral Council, which is closely allied with Maduro, stated that Maduro won the election with 52 percent of the vote, although they have yet to release a detailed breakdown of the results.
However, an opposition investigation into the election, which collected the tally sheets of about 80 percent of the nation’s voting machines, indicated that González won with twice as many votes as Maduro.
Maduro has dismissed requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets that prove he won the election. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has long claimed that the United States is trying to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations.