Madrid: Two Spanish nationals arrested in Venezuela have no connection with a plot to destabilise the country | World News

Two Spaniards, three US citizens and a Czech citizen have been arrested in Venezuela on suspicion of links to alleged plans to destabilize the South American country, the Venezuelan Interior Minister said on Saturday.

“Spain denies and rejects any allegation that it is involved in an operation to politically destabilize Venezuela,” a source in the Spanish Foreign Ministry said.

“The government has confirmed that those arrested do not belong to the Center for National Enlightenment or any other state organization. Spain is committed to a democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Venezuela.”

The arrests are likely to exacerbate Venezuela's already strained relations with Spain and the United States following the disputed presidential elections in July.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said at a press conference on Saturday that two Spaniards allegedly had links to the Spanish secret service and were planning the assassination of a mayor.

The Spaniards were José María Basoa and Andrés Martínez Adasne. Photos of the men were shown on state television.

Cabello also accused three U.S. citizens and a Czech national of involvement in terrorist attacks, including alleged plans to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other officials.

The US State Department said on Saturday that “all allegations of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false.”

The US State Department spokesman also confirmed that a “member of the US military” was being held and referred to “unconfirmed reports of two other US citizens detained in Venezuela”.

On Saturday, a Spanish Foreign Ministry source told Reuters that they were asking Venezuela for more information.

“The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal communication to the Venezuelan government requesting access to the detained citizens to verify their identity and nationality and to find out exactly what they are accused of,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Spanish nationals were arrested while taking photographs in the city of Puerto Ayacucho, Cabello said.

Venezuela recalled its ambassador from Spain for consultations last week and summoned the Spanish ambassador to the Foreign Ministry after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a “dictatorship,” heightening diplomatic tensions following Venezuela's disputed presidential election.

Caracas also expressed anger at the decision of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to meet last Thursday with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last week after being threatened with arrest by Maduro's regime.

Tensions between Venezuela and the United States have also escalated after Washington recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of the July 28 elections.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications.