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> 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 (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> 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> 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> 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> Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused US National Security Advisor John Bolton of preparing a plot to overthrow and murder him

He also has called out the Colombian leader Ivan Duque as being Bolton’s accomplice.

At a press conference broadcast on his Facebook page, Maduro said: .”John Bolton leads the plan to unleash violence and conduct a coup to introduce a transitional government. Bolton is preparing a plan of my assassination. He is training, in various places, mercenary and paramilitary units’ forces jointly with Colombia, whose president Ivan Duque is an accomplice of this plan”

“Bolton is preparing a plan for my assassination.”

RT reports: Trump’s national security adviser has organized the training of mercenaries and paramilitary units “in various places” to be used against Venezuela, he said.

Maduro claimed that more than 730 armed thugs are ready to launch provocations and to attack military bases in Venezuela.

According to the Venezuelan leader, Bolton’s plot is being carried out with the heavy involvement of Colombia, with its president Ivan Duque being “his accomplice.” Maduro then slammed Duque as Washington’s puppet, who “can’t even go to the toilet without permission from the US ambassador in Bogota.”

In early August, blasts were heard as Maduro attended a military parade in the capital, Caracas. The Venezuelan authorities announced that it was a failed assassination attempt against the president, which involved drones carrying bombs. Other reports insisted that the panic actually was caused by an explosion of household gas.

Maduro returned to that incident during his press-conference, saying that he had “no doubts that the drones were prepared in Colombia under the supervision of [then Colombian president Juan Manuel] Santos, but on the direct order from the White House.”

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry has said it “categorically rejects” Maduro’s accusations as well as his “unconvincing, disrespectful and slanderous words about an imaginary war that Colombia plans to start” against Venezuela.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has been vocal about its desire to see the socialist president removed from power in oil-rich Venezuela. Washington has branded Maduro a “dictator,” responsible for a crackdown on the country’s opposition. Several high-ranked US officials even mulled what they called a “humanitarian intervention” into the country.

Last year, the US imposed harsh sanctions against Venezuela’s officials and its economy, including the oil sector. The American pressure contributed to the severe social and economic crisis as the nation was hit by hyperinflation, the devaluation of the national currency and a shortage of basic necessities.

The collapse of living standards has forced more than three million to people leave the country this year in search of a better life elsewhere in Latin America, according to the UN.
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.