Venezuela's Maduro: Coup plotters not to go unpunished

By Muhammed Emin Canik

CARACAS, Venezuela (AA) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said late on Tuesday that a coup attempt in the country will not go unpunished.

His remarks came after Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido released a video on Twitter in which he could be seen alongside a small contingent of uniformed military personnel and armored vehicles calling for an uprising.

Terming this move a coup attempt, Maduro said prosecutors are investigating the incident.

"Those who target the constitution and peace of the society will be charged," he said, speaking at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.

Guaido has called for fresh protests on May Day against the government.

"The National Armed Forces have made the right decision, they have the support of the Venezuelan people," Guaido said, announcing "Operation Freedom" against the government.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10, when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

Tensions escalated when Guaido, who heads Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself acting president on Jan. 23, a move which was supported by the U.S. and many European and Latin American countries.

* Writing by Faruk Zorlu