Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that an assassination attempt against him was thwarted during a large rally in downtown Caracas on Monday. The Venezuelan president spoke to a large crowd of his supporters at Diego Ibarra Square after his nomination for the electoral lists for the 2024 presidential elections was announced.
Maduro stated in a speech broadcast live on Venezuelan television: "Today here [in Plaza Diego Ibarra] there were two armed men preparing to assassinate me," according to the TASS news agency. He indicated that "the detainees confessed to belonging to the far-right fascist party 'Vente Venezuela'." He mentioned that the criminals were arrested during a march by the president's supporters before the rally near the National Electoral Council building.
Earlier, Venezuelan government chief Naum Fernandez announced the arrest of three men who entered the demonstration with explosive devices to assassinate Maduro. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab also announced earlier this month that Venezuelan citizens were arrested in Monagas state for posting threats and conspiring to assassinate the Venezuelan president.
Maduro previously stated that five "conspiracies" by the right-wing opposition were thwarted in 2023, including plans to assassinate him.
