Foreign Ministry denies that Spain is involved in the destabilization of Venezuela

The Diplomat

The Foreign Ministry today denied Spain's involvement in an operation to destabilise Venezuela, a claim made yesterday by the Bolivarian regime's Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, when he reported on the arrest of two Spaniards accused of participating in plans to assassinate Nicolás Maduro.

Official sources from the ministry headed by José Manuel Albares stated that “Spain strongly denies and rejects any allegation that it is involved in an operation to destabilise Venezuela.”

In addition, they assured that “The government has confirmed that the prisoners do not belong to the CNI or any other state institution..” And they added: “Spain defends a democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Venezuela.”

The Foreign Ministry’s statements come after Spain yesterday also called on the Venezuelan government Gain access to the Spaniards José María Basoa Valdovinos and Andrés Martínez Adasmewho is imprisoned in that country and accused of planning an attack on Nicolás Maduro. The Bolivarian regime links him to the National Intelligence Center (CNI).

Official sources in the Foreign Ministry said that the Spanish Embassy in Caracas has sent an oral note to the Government of Venezuela “To request access to the detainees to verify their identity and nationality and – should this be confirmed – to know what exact allegations are being made against them and that they can receive all the support they need.”

“The message – added the same sources – will guarantee at all times the protection and rights of all Spaniards imprisoned in Venezuela.”

Yesterday afternoon, the Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, announced the arrest of six people, including the aforementioned José María Basoa Valdovinos and Andrés Martínez Adasme, He linked him to a plan to destabilize the country and carry out “terrorist” attacks, including against President Nicolás Maduro himself.

According to the minister, more than 400 weapons were seized during the operation that had been “transported from the United States.” Some of the seized weapons were intended to bring a “group of mercenaries” to Venezuela, with with the aim of killing Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and other leading figures of Chavismo.

Diosdado Cabello said in an appearance before the Venezuelan public media that both Basoa Valdovinos and Martínez Adasme, whom he identified as Spaniards, “have links” to the National Intelligence Center (CNI). He added that both were arrested in Puerto Ayacucho, the capital of the state of Amazonas (in the south, bordering Colombia and Brazil), “under irregular circumstances while taking photographs.”

The minister said that “the Spanish secret service is promoting the recruitment of terrorists to come to Venezuela” and assured that “CNI is up to its neck in water” in this operation. “They send very few soldiers and the rest are hired mercenaries. That is why the Spanish secret service is interfering in the recruitment. We know the entire plan.”

According to the minister, the authorities found information on the phones of those arrested about their contacts with a regional “leader” of the Vente Venezuela (VV) party. They asked him “how to buy explosives” and “established contact with groups that wanted to do special work.”

Cabello said the man behind the “arms trade” was former Caracas police commissioner Iván Simonovis, who had “direct” ties to the leaders of the majority opposition in Venezuela. Among them, he said, was María Corina Machado, the main supporter of former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who has been granted asylum in Spain.

The minister called on the US government, which he accused of being “behind this operation”, to clarify “the use of its territory for arms trafficking” with the aim of “overthrowing a government” that is “democratic and elected by its own people” in the presidential elections on July 28.
Venezuela, Cabello continued, is “under constant siege by imperialism and its allies, who have no scruples, and the Venezuelan state is obliged to make decisions in its defense.”

Report of missing persons in Colombia

According to the newspaper ABC, José María Basoa is 35 years old and Andrés Martínez Adasme is 32. They are Basques and residents of Bilbao. The newspaper adds that the local alarm services of the Colombian municipality of Inírida started on September 9 a message on social networks about the “disappearance” of the two, who were reportedly Spanish tourists.

It is also noted that the message indicated that they had last been seen in the municipality on September 2, en route to Puerto Ayacucho. “Both were traveling without a guide and we have had no news since their last phone contact that day at 8:23 a.m.,” the message said. As he explained, they traveled from Madrid to Caracas on August 17 and rented a car. On September 2, they were preparing to take a boat back to the Venezuelan port, but nothing more was known. They were supposed to return the car on September 5, but they did not.