Venezuela's Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, has announced an investigation into "new assassination threats" against President Nicolás Maduro.
The probe was prompted by a video released on X (formerly Twitter) by the Colombian paramilitary group Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), claiming that they were contacted by Venezuelan far-right groups to "destabilize" the government.
The ACSN video alleges that these Venezuelan groups requested actions such as targeting the country's electrical infrastructure, acting against President Maduro, and creating chaos during potential protests. The paramilitary organization emphasized that it does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs and intends to share details of the information with Venezuelan diplomatic authorities.
COMUNICADO AL SEÑOR PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA DE COLOMBIA GUSTAVO PETRO URREGO Y AL SEÑOR PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA BOLIVARIANA DE VENEZUELA
— ACSN (@ACSN129068) July 6, 2024
NICOLAS MADURO MOROS🛑
El Estado Mayor de las Autodefensas Conquistadores de la
Sierra- ACSN, se dirige a ustedes señores mandatarios... pic.twitter.com/MwrfdB0D14
President Maduro responded to the allegations, urging the Attorney General to take the investigation seriously. He cited intelligence sources and expressed concern about the gravity of the situation:
"We have many intelligence sources (...) they extract this information, and I publicly request the Attorney General of the Republic, Tarek William Saab, to undertake this investigation within the scope of his duties (...) because it is very serious."
It's not the first time Maduro has mentioned sabotage during the current electoral cycle. On June 25, during one of his televised appearances, he mentioned "firsthand information about secret conversations among far-right fascist groups preparing an offensive against the electrical system", adding that the purpose of such activity was to "disrupt the climate of peace, tranquility and happiness characterizing the electoral process."
A recent statement by Human Rights Watch before the UN, however, revealed that as Venezuela's presidential election gets closer, political repression by the Maduro government has ramped up.
"We are deeply alarmed by the arrest of opposition members, arbitrary disqualifications of opposition candidates, and efforts to further restrict civic space, as the authorities ramp up repression ahead of the elections in July," read a passage of the statement.
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