Maduro Orders Arrest of Rival to Quell Venezuela Dissent
BloombergSEP 12 2024
Venezuela's Minister of Interior, Diosdado Cabello, said authorities on Tuesday had arrested a fourth US citizen in connection with a plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro. The police in Caracas arrested the American for allegedly taking photos of electrical installations, oil facilities, and military units.
Without identifying the American, Cabello stated that the individual had visited Venezuela on several occasions. Additionally, he noted that the CIA, along with Spain's National Intelligence Center, played a role in planning, promoting, and funding the plot.
On Saturday, Cabello said on national TV that authorities had arrested three Americans, two Spaniards, and a Czech citizen for the alleged plan. Cabello identified US citizen Wilbert Joseph Castaelda Gomez, a Navy SEAL, as the operation's leader. The minister said that two other Americans detained were David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.
Following Maduro's blatant theft of the July 28 presidential election, Venezuela is rapidly transitioning into a totalitarian state. Following the election, which the opposition alliance candidate Edmundo González Urrutia easily won, Maduro's dictatorship immediately accused the US of attempting a coup. To maintain control, Maduro's government has arrested thousands of anti-government protesters and opposition activists with the help of Cuban secret police, Russian Wagner Group mercenaries, and other forces. Venezuela's political crisis threatens the stability of the entire region.
It is no surprise that the US is trying hard to overthrow Nicolás Maduro's socialist government. For almost 25 years, the US has fought to topple the Bolivarian revolution. Despite numerous US coups and assassination attempts, the revolution and Maduro endured. Washington made it clear before the July 28 election that it preferred the opposition candidate, González. The US has been funding political parties, NGOs, and media outlets with one purpose in mind: to oust Maduro and bring Venezuela back into the US sphere of influence.