CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Prosecutors in Venezuela say they’ve arrested two high-ranking military officers suspected of participating in an attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab said Tuesday that the list of suspects has risen to 34 — including a general, colonel and two lawmakers opposed to Maduro’s government.

Officials say an assassination plot involved two drones loaded with plastic explosives that detonated near Maduro as he spoke this month at a military celebration.

Saab says that so far 14 people have been arrested.

The two detained officers include a general in the Venezuelan National Guard.

A 29-year-old opposition lawmaker has also has been arrested and charged with treason and attempted homicide.

Venezuelan officials are asking Colombia to extradite Julio Borges, a prominent opposition lawmaker living in Bogota. </s> Two high-ranking military officers have been arrested in the investigation into an assassination attempt on Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.

The list of suspects — including an exiled opposition MP — has now risen to 34 and officials are seeking arrests in Colombia, Peru and the United States, Venezuela’s attorney general Tarek William Saab said.

“There are 14 detainees who have been presented and charged before the criminal courts,” he said.

Officials say an assassination plot involved two drones loaded with plastic explosives that detonated near Mr Maduro as he spoke on August 4 at a military celebration in the capital of Caracas.

The first explosion in front of the grandstand caused hundreds of soldiers standing in parade formation to scatter. Seven soldiers were injured, but Mr Maduro and several senior officials nearby were unharmed.

Mr Saab said that the two detained officers include a general in the Venezuelan National Guard.

A 29-year-old opposition MP, Juan Requesens, is also under arrest and charged with treason and attempted homicide.

Relatives say he is jailed for being an outspoken critic of Mr Maduro’s government, but that he never participated in a crime.

Venezuelan officials are asking Colombia to extradite Julio Borges, a prominent opposition MP living in Bogota. </s> "The Peruvian Embassy in Caracas received a request from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry to locate two Venezuelan citizens wanted by the justice system of that country for their alleged participation in what the [Venezuelan] government calls an 'attempt on the life of the president of Venezuela,'" the ministry said on its Twitter account on Wednesday night.

Earlier in the day, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry asked Peru to extradite two suspects linked to the attempt on the president's life: Gregorio Jose Yaguas Monje and Yilber Alberto Escalona.

READ MORE: Venezuela Asks Peru to Hand Over Suspected Plotters of Assault on Maduro

On Tuesday, Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab said that there were a total of 34 suspects in the case, 14 of whom had already been arrested, including two high-ranking Venezuelan militaries.

READ MORE: Venezuela Faces Threat of 'Indirect Intervention' From Colombia — Professor

Maduro accused the country's opposition and former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos of the assassination attempt, adding that some of the attackers were hiding in the United States.

READ MORE: Exiled Venezuelan Court Sentences Maduro to 18 Years in Prison — Reports </s> CARACAS - A Venezuelan general has been arrested over the alleged assassination attempt on President Nicolas Maduro, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said on Tuesday.

National Guard Major General Alejandro Perez Gomez appeared before a judge on Monday along with opposition politician Juan Requesens and colonel Pedro Javier Zambrano, Saab told a press conference.

To date, 14 people have been arrested and charged for allegedly taking part in the August 4 incident in which Maduro was seen reacting on live television to an off-camera explosion while he addressed a military parade in Caracas.

A second explosion was heard and then the assembled troops could be seen breaking formation and scattering in panic.

Maduro said the blasts were from explosives-laden drones sent to assassinate him. Saab told journalists further arrests were possible.

Maduro has blamed the attack on “terrorist cells” in Florida led by a man called Osman Delgado Tabosky, whom he claims was behind the plot. The state is home to a large community of Venezuelan immigrants.

Maduro said this week that he would allow FBI agents to come to Venezuela to help investigate the alleged plot. </s> The attempt to assassinate Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, has failed. This news is days-old. But, the facts are reiterated boldly. And, there are a few questions, and a few answers to some “progressives” now in close collaboration with imperialism.

The assassination attempt was made while Maduro was addressing the nation on live TV during a military celebration in Caracas. Seven National Guard members were injured in the attempt.

It was the 81st-anniversary parade of the National Guard on August 4, 2018.

Explosive loaded drones were used in the assassination attempt. However, snipers shot down the killer-drones.

“They have tried to kill me today, and everything points towards the right wing forces, the Venezuela ultra-right in alliance with the Colombian ultra-right, and the name of Juan Manuel Santos is behind this assassination attempt.”

Santos is the out-going president of Colombian.

“[F]irst elements of the investigation point towards Bogota.”

However, in a statement, the Colombian foreign ministry described Maduro’s indication as “absurd” and “baseless.”

Santos claimed in an innocent tone that he was fully focused on his granddaughter’s baptism on the day of the murder-attempt.

It sounds like someone has to fly with an explosive-filled drone if the person plans to make an attack.

But, it should be mentioned that Santos recently suggested in public statements: Maduro’s mandate is close to coming to an end.

Santos said as recently as on July 30: “I hope it is tomorrow even. Colombia would be willing and ready to help in any way possible.”

Maduro also indicated the assassination attempt had been financed from Miami.

The US authorities quickly tried to get far away from the assassination attempt. John Bolton, the White House security advisor, said: “Without a doubt there wasn’t any participation from the US government in the absolute.”

Security measures following the murder attempt arrested a few persons including two participants in the 2014 anti-government street violence in Venezuela. The two street-violence participants also have a criminal record.

Countries, in continents, including Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, India, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, Spain, Syria, Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam condemned the assassination attempt, and expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan leader. A number of Caribbean island-countries, regional bloc ALBA, International bodies such as the Union of South American Nations, Community of Latin American and Caribbean Nations, and the World Peace Council also repudiated the attack. The Communist Party of Argentina, the FARC in Colombia, Al Fatah, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Vanguard and New Nation Parties in Costa Rica, the Guasu Front in Paraguay, the New Movement Party and the Broad Front in Peru, and many other political and social organizations in regions and countries denounced the assassination attempt. Maduro-allies including the Communist Party of Venezuela and Homeland for All Party (PPT), and grassroots organizations in Venezuela and in many other countries took similar stand on the assassination attempt.

Diego Maradona, the football legend, tweeted: “an attack on the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution is an attack on the people of Venezuela.”

However, the rightist opposition groups in Venezuela played down the assassination attempt while the ultra-rightists regretted with the failure.

The First Justice party (PJ) indicated: Similar attack may happen again: “It would be a grave error to presume […] that the events of yesterday won’t be repeated in the same, or a worse, way”.

A few of the rightists claimed: The incident was fabricated.

Opposition hardliner Maria Corina Machado said: “Maduro will only be got rid of […] by force.”

In countries, political, claiming to be civil and rights organizations with ties to imperialism kept their silence intact. They failed to denounce the assassination attempt although international agreements define assassination of a head of state as “terrorist act”.

A few from the imperialist media also presented a story with an interrogative tone: “Was the attempt staged by Maduro?”

So, one finds: imperialist media and rightists are in the same wave length.

On the other hand, “Soldiers in T-Shirts”, an anti-government group, has claimed responsibility for the attack, code named “Operation Fenix”. Factors of Power, a Miami-based private news network, presented the statement.

The statement echoed demands being made by the right-wing politicians that include abide by the rightist-packed National Assembly and go for “true and free” elections.

It called on “everyone to take to the streets”, to “take power,” and install a “transition government.”

The statement claims that the assassination attempt tried to “restore constitutional order.”

Patricia Poleo, a Miami-based journalist and a critic of the Venezuela government, read the public statement issued by the claimants of the attempt.

Patricia is accused of being involved in the assassination of anti-corruption police investigator Danilo Anderson in 2004.

One of the tweets made by the “T-Shirts” said:

“The operation was to fly two drones carrying C4 explosive to the presidential platform”, but the drones were downed “before [these reached] their objective. We showed that [the government is] vulnerable, today we didn’t achieve it but it’s only a question of time.”

Twitter account of the “T-Shirt” claims that it’s a combination of “military and civilian patriots”, and “rebels.”

The questions are: Why the attempt to assassinate Maduro was made? Why further threats are made: “More such attempts will follow”? Why the rightists find Maduro as their enemy?

There was attempt to assassinate Rafael Correa in 2010, the then president of Ecuador. The list of the assassinated anti-imperialist political leaders is very long.

The questions are: Who are assassinated? Why are they assassinated?

It’s not that all assassinated political leaders were anti-imperialist. But, many anti-imperialists have been assassinated.

For years, imperialism has targeted leaders standing against imperialism. Leaders choosing the path of self-reliance have been targeted by imperialism. Leaders moving away from imperialist orbit have also been targeted. Imperialism also targeted its former allies and lackeys.

A few of them have been overthrown through coup d’états. A few were blown out in airplanes. A few faced mysterious deaths. The recent tact is “democracy movement”.

Assassination attempts are made when imperialism fails to find scope for regime change through fabricated political “movements”, which appear democratic, but, in its core, is faithful to imperialism. Attempts to physically eliminate political leaders are made when imperialism finds machinated crisis of different types are failing to unseat its enemy. Imperialism resorts to killings when it finds it’s difficult to mobilize social and political forces required to overthrow the political leadership it considers its enemy.

In these attempts to assassinate, organize “political movements”, initiate machinated crises, imperialism has to rely on its local allies – lackeys. These allies range from political parties to unions to so-called civil society to disgruntled elements within the targeted government to so-called rights, for-the-poor, cooperative, cultural, youth, etc. organizations. It’s a mobilization of social and political forces faithful to the external master.

In Venezuela, the rightists are finding it difficult to succeed with their political fight. They are failing to mobilize other social forces. They are failing to use discontent whatever is there, and aspirations. The situation leads them to the terrorist activity – assassinate Maduro. So, the assassination attempt is an indication of the rightists’ failure in political fight, is an indication of its cornered position.

However, the position may change as politics and political position are not static in any society. This depends upon handling of contradictions, management of economy, struggles in the sphere of politics, keeping alliance alive. It’ll be a pure childish imagination, and a reflection of having no idea about politics if anyone expects that all the moves and measures at all the times will be absolutely error-free in Venezuela. In no society, it’s possible to move through an absolute error-free path of political and ideological struggle.

There are “progressives”, “lefts”, “adherents” of Marx and Lenin in countries, who claim Chavez “didn’t” follow, and Maduro “isn’t” following the correct path to socialism, their anti-imperialism is “pseudo”.

These “progressives”, etc. forget to admit that imperialism isn’t making assault on this brand of proper “progressives”, etc. Imperialism is making assault on this Chavez-Maduro duo. Then, according to these “progressives”, etc., it comes out that imperialism is behaving “fool” as the duo “isn’t” for progress.

This flock of “progressives”, etc. has forgotten the observation Mao made in 1939:

“I hold that it is bad as far as we are concerned if a person, a political party, an army or a school is not attacked by the enemy, for in that case it would definitely mean that we have sunk to the level of the enemy. It is good if we are attacked by the enemy, since it proves that we have drawn a clear line of demarcation between the enemy and ourselves. It is still better if the enemy attacks us wildly and paints us as utterly black and without a single virtue; it demonstrates that we have not only drawn a clear line of demarcation between the enemy and ourselves but achieved a great deal in our work.”

These “progressives”, etc. are bigger and larger revolutionaries than Mao. So, they don’t listen to Mao, turn ultra-left overnight, and proudly extend their hands of collaboration to imperialism and its lackeys.

These “progressives”, etc. very often or regularly take the path, which has been charted by imperialism. In countries in regions including South Asia, these “progressives”, neo-“progressives”, etc. will stand with the rightist forces; oppose errors, corruption, economic difficulties in the way imperialism gets benefit; cordially be-friend extreme rightists, and get active with imperialism-designed democracy. But, they will never look at the question: Why attempt to assassinate Maduro is made and why these “progressives”, etc. are being spared? </s> Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks to soldiers in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 4. His speech was cut short by an assassination attempt involving an exploding drone, officials said. Photo by Miguel Guti√©rrez/EPA-EFE

Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Venezuelan authorities have arrested a military general and colonel and a dozen others in connection to a failed assassination attempt on President Nicolas Maduro.

Maj. Gen. Alejandro Perez and Col. Pedro Zambrano were identified in court as the high-ranking officers arrested for the drone attack.

Investigators said the plot used explosive drones to target Maduro as he gave a speech Aug. 4. The president was not hurt, but seven soldiers were injured.

Tuesday, the Venezuelan Supreme Court said Perez, Zambrano, opposition lawmaker Juan Requesen and five others had been held "for attempted aggravated homicide against the president."

Overall, 14 people have been arrested so far on charges related to the assassination attempt.

Officials said Zambrano and retired soldier Juan Monasterios were previously charged in an assault on a military base last year, during which weapons were stolen.

Opposition leaders said Maduro is using the failed plot to suppress insurgents.

The high-profile arrests and opposition comes amid Venezuela's ongoing economic and social crisis.

"The human rights situation of the people of Venezuela is dismal," former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in June. "When a box of hypertension pills costs more than the monthly minimum wage and baby milk formula more than two months' salary, but protesting against such an impossible situation can land you in jail, the extreme injustice of it all is stark." </s> Venezuela’s attorney general said Tuesday that two high-ranking military officers have been detained in the investigation into an alleged drone attack against President Nicolas Maduro.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab said National Guard Maj. Gen. Alejandro Perez and National Guard Col. Pedro Javier Zambrano were presented to court late Monday in the August 4 incident.

Opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens is accused of taking part in the plot, his lawyer said. Several other individuals have been arrested.

Army Gen. Armando Hernandez, in a video posted on social media, said he was being detained at his flat in Caracas by counterintelligence service DGCIM.

CNN could not independently verify the claim.

Maduro has accused opposition groups of orchestrating the failed attack and claimed the “financiers and planners” of the operation live in Florida.

Authorities have identified the masterminds of the assassination attempt as well as the people who assisted them, Saab said previously.

The investigation, which involves four prosecutors, has yielded the locations from where the drones were piloted, as well as the arrests of two of the drone pilots, the country’s top law enforcement official said.

“We also know the places where they stayed in the days leading to the attack. We have identified the people who made the explosives and prepared the weapons and their international links,” Saab said.

He further said the alleged assassination constituted a “betrayal to the motherland, intentional homicide attempt, terrorism, association to commit a crime and financing terrorism.”

Maduro survived the assault, during which the government says drones armed with explosives flew toward him as he spoke at a military parade. He earlier blamed the attack on far-right elements and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. Colombia called the claim absurd and said it had become “customary for Maduro to blame Colombia for any kind of problem in his country.” </s> Ex-police chief claims role in Maduro’s assassination attempt as evidence points to opposition

Venezuela's supreme court is ordering the arrest of prominent opposition leader Julio Borges in connection with an alleged assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.

The court on Wednesday also called for the prosecution of a second congressman, Juan Requesense, who already had been detained.

The actions follow what the government says is a thwarted assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro using drones loaded with explosives. Maduro was speaking at an outdoor military ceremony when they detonated nearby, but was unharmed.

Borges is the former president of congress. He lives in exile in Colombia.

Police detained Requesense at his apartment on Tuesday.

Both deny any role in the drone attacks. </s> CARACAS, Venezuela — The Latest on the apparent drone attack on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (all times local):

Venezuela's supreme court is ordering the arrest of prominent opposition leader Julio Borges in connection with an alleged assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.

The court on Wednesday also called for the prosecution of a second congressman, Juan Requesense, who already had been detained.

The actions follow what the government says is a thwarted assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro using drones loaded with explosives. Maduro was speaking at an outdoor military ceremony when they detonated nearby, but was unharmed.

Borges is the former president of congress. He lives in exile in Colombia.

Police detained Requesense at his apartment on Tuesday.

Both deny any role in the drone attacks.
Venezuelan authorities detain six people involved in what they call an assassination attempt on Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro.