CARACAS, Venezuela — A former intelligence chief in Venezuela who is one of the government’s most prominent figures turned against President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday, calling him a dictator with a corrupt inner circle that has engaged in drug trafficking and courted the militant group Hezbollah.

In interviews with The New York Times, the former intelligence chief, Hugo Carvajal, 58, who is a congressman in the governing Socialist Party, urged the military to break with the president ahead of a showdown with the opposition on Saturday over Mr. Maduro’s blockade of aid shipments on the country’s borders.

“It has been more than enough,” Mr. Carvajal said in a statement, which was also released in a video online on Thursday and addressed to Mr. Maduro. “You have killed hundreds of young people in the streets for trying to claim the rights you stole. This without even counting the dead for lack of medicines and security.”

“To the generals,” he added, “how is it that having the power to allow the entry of international humanitarian aid to our country to save lives, you would decide not to? Would you be so inhuman? So hypnotized?” </s> In a video released on social media, Hugo Carvajal, a Venezuelan congressman and a former intelligence chief in Venezuela, urged the military to reject President Nicolás Maduro. </s> The U.S. Department of the Treasury has put new sanctions on three Venezuelans and 20 entities for connections to drug trafficking.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced the new sanctions on Venezuela during a speech Monday at the Organization of American States in Washington.

Condemning Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro's regime, Pence said the upcoming elections in Venezuela would be a "fake election with a fake outcome," calling on Maduro to postpone them.

"Suspend this sham election. Hold real elections, give the people of Venezuela real choices" Pence said "because the Venezuelan people deserve to live in democracy once again".

The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified Venezuelan nationals Pedro Luis Martin Olivares (Martin), "as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act)", according to a statement.

Walter Alexander Del Nogal Marquez (Del Nogal) and Mario Antonio Rodriguez Espinoza (Rodriguez) were also identified "for materially assisting in, or providing financial or technological support for or to, or providing goods or services in support of, the international narcotics trafficking activities of Martin."

“This action is in response to Martin’s extensive drug trafficking and money laundering activities. Systemic corruption and a collapse in the rule of law are defining features of Venezuela’s government,” said Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin, according to the statement.

“We will deny corrupt Venezuelan regime officials access to the U.S. financial system as we work with international partners to support the Venezuelan people in restoration of democracy and a return to prosperity.”

OFAC also identified 20 companies in Venezuela and Panama linked to the three men.

In January, the United States sanctioned four current or former Venezuelan officials associated with corruption or repression in Venezuela. </s> Senior ruling party official says situation under control at Paramacay military base as authorities arrest seven.

Troops in Venezuela have put down an attack on an army base near the city of Valencia, officials have said, shortly after a video surfaced of uniformed men declaring a military rebellion there.

Diosdado Cabello, the Socialist Party's deputy, said troops acted quickly on Sunday to quash the assault at the Paramacay base.

Military chiefs said the rebels, whom they described as "terrorists," were trying to steal weapons and that seven people were detained after the attack.

The armed forces "successfully repelled a paramilitary criminal terrorist attack, the 7 captured is giving information!" Rear Admiral Remigio Ceballos, head of the military's strategic operational command, said on Twitter.

The announcement came after a small group of men dressed in military fatigues, some armed with assault rifles, released a video declaring an uprising in Carabobo state, where Valencia is located.

In the video, a man identifying himself as Captain Juan Caguaripano said that any unit refusing to go along with its call for rebellion would be declared a military target.

"We demand the immediate formation of a transition government," Caguaripano said. He was flanked by about a dozen men in military uniforms.

"This is not a coup d'etat," he said. "This is a civic and military action to re-establish constitutional order. But more than that, it is to save the country from total destruction."

One witness in the area told the Reuters news agency of hearing gunshots before dawn.

The Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Venezuela has been rocked by a wave of anti-government protests in the past several months that have left more than 100 people dead.

The reported attack in Paramacay comes two days after government allies inaugurated a new legislative superbody that the opposition and dozens of countries denounced as a power grab by President Nicolas Maduro.

In its first act on Saturday the Constituent Assembly ordered the dismissal of the country's attorney general, Luisa Ortega, a vocal government critic.

The opposition is struggling to regain its footing in the face of the government's tactics and re-emergence of old, internal divisions. </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> The claim that Hezbollah has ties to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was reinforced by a report by the Jerusalem Post, citing former Venezuelan Intelligence Chief Hugo Carvajal. The article was originally published on February 24, but US National Security Adviser shared it on twitter on February 27, with accusations that no longer mention "Maduro and his cronies," but rather Maduro and "a counsel of terrorists and Cuban minders."According to the Jerusalem Post article, which itself cites a NYT report , Carvajal revealed powerful ties between the administration of President Nicolás Maduro and the Hezbollah terrorist group, as well as wide-spread corruption and drug activity.Allegedly, those who were meant to combat drugs were engaged in trafficking them, Carvajal said.El Aissami was not only a drug kingpin, said Carvajal, but also had connections to Hezbollah, and attempted to arrange Hezbollah terrorists to work with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia [FARC] through Venezuela.The claim that Hezbollah has ties with the Maduro government was initially suggested by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo close around 14 days earlier.On February 24th, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif expressed his country's support of Maduro's government and slammed any foreign intervention in Venezuela's internal affairs. Thus, it is also possible that accusations of Iranian influence to being circulating the media soon.Meanwhile, Reuters reported, citing opposition Legislator Angel Alvarado and three anonymous government sources who claimed that Nicolas Maduro had removed at least 8 tons of gold from the Venezuelan central bank's vaults between February 20and 22This was done while there were no regular security guards present at the bank. According to Alvarado they plan to sell it illegally abroad.The anonymous sources and Alvarado did not say where the gold would be sold. They said the operation took place while central bank head Calixto Ortega was abroad on a trip.Separately, on February 27the containers were also placed on the Simon Bolivar bridge to block it as well. It is a major pedestrian crossing between Colombia and Venezuela. It is also the place where the "humanitarian aid truck" was set on fire allegedly by the Venezuelan military.The Tienditas bridge, which is blocked for passage all year round was also blocked by shipping containers in January.US-Proclaimed Interim President Juan Guaido who travelled to Colombia, despite a travel ban imposed by the Venezuelan Supreme Court also travelled to Brazil on the evening of February 27to meet with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro as part of a tour of several nations to ratchet up international pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to step down.Maduro said that Guaido should face justice after he returns to Venezuela because he went against the supreme court's ruling.Meanwhile, in his address to the UN Human Rights Council Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza suggested that Maduro and Trump should meet and "try to find common ground and explain their differences."US Vice President Mike Pence discarded the suggestion, saying that the only thing to discuss is the exact "time and date of his [Maduro's] departure."On Thursday, both the US and Russia submitted their own draft resolutions on the Venezuelan crisis.The decision to submit the Russian draft resolution was announced by Russian mission to the UN Fyodor Strzhizhovsky.An anonymous diplomatic source told TASS that the vote on Russia's draft resolution on Venezuela at the UN Security Council is planned for Thursday.Maduro's vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, is also to travel to Moscow for talks with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on March 1. Russia has continued to support Maduro government throughout the crisis and despite continuing false media reports that it is doubting the "regime." </s> The Treasury Department announced new sanctions on three Venezuelans as the U.S. ratchets up pressure on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has overseen a crackdown on protesters amid an economic crisis fueled by rapid inflation.

The sanctions targets include Pedro Luis Martin Olivares, a former Venezuelan intelligence official now under indictment in Florida on drug trafficking charges. The penalties also cover two people identified as his associates, Walter Alexander Del Nogal Marquez and Mario Antonio Rodriguez Espinoza, along with 20 companies in Venezuela and Panama the Treasury Department says are owned or controlled by the three.

The three people were designated for sanctions under a U.S. law targeting narcotics kingpins.

The Treasury Department said in a statement that Martin used his government position to accept bribes from drug traffickers, and helped facilitate the movement of multi-ton loads of cocaine through Venezuelan airspace. The 20 companies -- of which 16 are based in Venezuela -- were used to launder illicit proceeds from the drug trade, according to the statement.

“This action is in response to Martin’s extensive drug trafficking and money laundering activities. Systemic corruption and a collapse in the rule of law are defining features of Venezuela’s government,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement. “We will deny corrupt Venezuelan regime officials access to the U.S. financial system as we work with international partners to support the Venezuelan people in restoration of democracy and a return to prosperity.”

The sanctions are the latest in a series of financial penalties the Trump Administration has imposed on the Maduro government. In March, the U.S. banned purchases of a cryptocurrency the Venezuelan government rolled out. In August, the administration froze assets of eight current and former Venezuelan officials, including Adan Chavez, brother of the late president Hugo Chavez, and Hermann Escarra, a constitutional adviser to Maduro. And earlier last year, the administration took the unusual step of sanctioning Maduro directly after he proceeded with a vote on a new assembly that was a first step to revise the constitution. </s> Brazilian justice minister Sergio Moro considered releasing construction giant Odebrecht's confession to paying bribes in Venezuela to harm the country's president Nicolas Maduro, The Intercept investigative website reported on Sunday.

The report came after The Intercept last month began publishing excerpts from leaked chats with Moro, causing a scandal for the former anti-corruption judge who became attorney general under far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.

The Intercept's most explosive report purportedly showed Moro conspiring with prosecutors in a sprawling corruption probe known as Car Wash to keep popular leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva out of the 2018 presidential race.

On Sunday, The Intercept published chats in which Moro considers whether to use information gathered about Odebrecht during the Car Wash investigation against socialist leader Maduro, who has presided over a political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

"Maybe we should reveal Odebrecht's confessions about bribes in Venezuela?" Moro said to chief prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol via the encrypted Telegram messaging app in August 2017.

Earlier in the conversation, Dallagnol had told Moro, "There will be criticism and a price (to be paid), but it's worth exposing oneself to help the Venezuelans."

It remains unclear if the confessions were ever leaked, but Odebrecht has admitted to paying bribes across Latin America, including $98 million in Venezuela -- its biggest payoff outside Brazil.

In a statement, the prosecutor's office in the city of Curitiba, which handled some of the most publicized aspects of the probe, rejected The Intercept's report.

The office said it didn't recognize "the messages attributed to its members in recent weeks. The origin and veracity of the messages, obtained via cybercriminals, cannot be confirmed."

The corruption scandal surrounding Odebrecht, Latin America's biggest construction firm, has stretched across a dozen countries in Latin America and two in Africa, with the company implicated in handing out cash to win lucrative public contracts.

The revelations regarding Moro have led to calls for his resignation along with demonstrations in support of the justice minister.

On Sunday, DataFolha Institute of Research released a poll in which 58 percent of respondents said that Moro's decisions in the Car Wash probe should be reviewed if the claims against him are proven to be true. </s> The Treasury Department announced Monday that it was imposing new sanctions on four Venezuelan governors connected to beleaguered President Nicolas Maduro’s government — blocking any assets they control in the US.

“The illegitimate Maduro regime’s attempts to blockade international aid intended for the Venezuelan people are shameful,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

“Treasury is targeting four state governors aligned with former President Maduro for standing in the way of severely needed humanitarian assistance and prolonging the suffering of the Venezuelan people.”

The four officials are involved in “endemic corruption” and “blocking the delivery of critical humanitarian aid, thereby exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the illegitimate Maduro regime,” the department said.

The new round of sanctions comes as Vice President Mike Pence and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó met in Bogota, Colombia, with members of the Lima Group, a bloc of nations from Argentina to Canada dedicated to the resolution of the Venezuelan crisis.

“We are with you 100 percent,” Pence said ahead of the start of the meeting. “I want to assure you, President Guaidó, the tragic events of this past weekend have only steeled the resolve of the United States to stand with you … We will keep standing until your libertad is restored.”

Earlier this month, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control ramped up sanctions on Maduro’s intelligence services and management of the state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela.

Sanctions were imposed on two governors who head states along the Colombian border.

Omar Jose Prieto Fernandez is governor of Zulia, which Treasury described as a hub for organized crime, where drug trafficking and murder-for-hire is rampant.

On Feb. 12, Prieto threatened to visit the homes of opposition leaders who permitted access to humanitarian aid in Venezuela. He also recently threatened to declare Venezuela’s “oil state” of Zulia independent should a new transition government take power.

Ramon Alonso Carrizalez Rengifo, the governor of Apure and former defense minister, had “endorsed” threats of violence against opposition protesters, the department said.

Also sanctioned were Jorge Luis Garcia Carneiro, the governor of Vargas and also a former defense minister, who has rejected Guaidó as interim president, and Rafael Alejandro Lacava Evangelista, the governor of Carabobo whom Treasury described as a Maduro intermediary involved in hiding funds overseas.
United Socialist Party of Venezuela congressman and former head of the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence Hugo Carvajal defects to the opposition, urging the military to abandon Nicolás Maduro. Carvajal says drug trafficking and corruption are commonplace in the government.