President Nicolas Maduro said security forces had foiled an opposition coup attempt that included plans to assassinate him.
ADVERTISEMENTVenezuela's President Nicholas Maduro has said security forces foiled a coup attempt by the opposition that involved plans to assassinate him and other top political figures.
“We have revealed, dismantled and captured a fascist band of terrorists that planned a coup against Venezuelan society and Venezuelan democracy,” Maduro said on Wednesday.
The president said the plan involved opposition leader Juan Guaido and political leaders from Chile, Colombia and the US.
It also allegedly planned to break former Defence Minister Raul Baduel out of prison and proclaim him president. Baduel was a former defence minister who was arrested on corruption accusations in 2009 after falling out with the Socialist Party.
Guaido, who led a failed uprising in April, has dismissed the accusations as lies. The army, who play a key role in the South American nation, side with Maduro's Socialist Party, despite Guido's attempts to get the armed forces on side.
Read more: Guaido defiant after failed coup attempt
Continuous protests against malnutrition and power cuts have marred Venezuela, which is suffering an economic collapse. Millions have fled as a result.
Watch: Euronews interviews Nicolas Maduro in February