Venezuelan president praises 'united military' for putting down rebellion at military base. Search is on for alleged plotters
ADVERTISEMENT
The search is on for ten men who have escaped after an attack on a military base in Venezuela.
The authorities said 20 people carried out a small rebellion at the base in Valencia. Eight have been arrested – two more were killed.
Some of the alleged plotters got away with weapons stolen from the base.
Earlier on Sunday, a video circulated on social media showing a group of men in military uniform announcing an uprising in the wake of the creation of a pro-government legislative superbody last week, which was widely condemned as a power grab.
Senior military officials are said to have condemned the assault during a meeting with President Nicolas Maduro.
In his weekly TV programme the president called the incident a terrorist attack and vowed to ask for the maximum sentence for those involved in the alleged plot. The maximum penalty is currently 30 years in jail. Maduro said there will be no leniency for either civilians or deserters.
Venezuela says crushes anti-government attack on military base https://t.co/uLXNd1u1IV pic.twitter.com/boKYXJ0Vh8
— Reuters Venezuela (@ReutersVzla) August 6, 2017
Members of Venezuela’s opposition have dismissed the government reports of a united military. Leading government critic Henrique Capriles voiced his suspicions:
“We do not believe that the whole military family is what the military leadership says because all Venezuelans today, the vast majority of Venezuelans are facing the same problems.”
Following the assault in Valencia activists there clashed with security forces.
The incident highlights how volatile Venezuela is after four months of sustained anti-government protests over what the opposition calls the country’s slide into dictatorship.
More than 120 people have died in months of protests against unpopular leftist President Nicolas Maduro.