Venezuela: Guaido rejects alleged link to new coup plot

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido dismissed allegations linking him to an alleged coup that President Nicolas Maduro said it prevented.

Earlier, the government claimed that a coup attempt, "supported by the U.S., Colombia and Chile" to replace Maduro with a former defense minister, was defeated.

The opposition would continue to call on the Venezuelan Armed Forces to oust Maduro, Guaido told press.

On Wednesday, Vice President Jorge said the plan involved active and retired army personnel who were arrested on Sunday and Monday.

Rodriguez told Venezuelan state-run television that government informants infiltrated the alleged plotters during planning meetings.

"We were in all the meetings to plan the coup d'etat. We were in all the conferences," he added.

Rodriguez blamed Colombian President Ivan Duque, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton for planning to carry out the coup and assassinate Maduro.

At least six alleged plotters were detained, he said.

Planning to take over three military bases, including the La Carlota air base in Caracas, the coup plotters aimed to break out of jail Raul Baduel -- a former defense minister during the Hugo Chavez presidency -- and proclaim him president, Rodriguez said.

"Is this a military coup d’etat against Guaido or against President Nicolas Maduro?" he said.

On April 30, Guaido issued a video message alongside a small contingent of uniformed military personnel and armored vehicles, calling for an uprising to end the "usurpation" of Maduro, and has since continued to call for mass demonstrations against the Venezuelan president.

In the video, he hailed the beginning of the final phase of the effort to oust Maduro, known as Operation Liberty.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since January when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

Tensions escalated when Guaido declared himself acting president days later, a move supported by the U.S. and many European and Latin American countries.

Russia, Turkey, China, Iran, Bolivia and Mexico have thrown their weight behind Maduro.