A drone attack caused pandemonium at a military ceremony where President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was speaking on Saturday, sending National Guard troops scurrying in what administration officials called an assassination attempt.
The president, who was unharmed, later told the nation, “To all of our friends in the world, I am fine, I am alive.” He blamed right-wing elements and said, “The Bolivarian revolution keeps its path.”
Mr Maduro has blamed Colombia for the attack – something denied by Bogota as a “baseless” accusation.
Seven soldiers were injured, and authorities detained six people suspected of using explosives-laden drones in a failed bid to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, officials said Sunday, in what one witness described as a terrifying attack that shook her apartment building.
The government alleged that opposition factions conspired with assailants in Miami and Bogota, although they offered no specific evidence. Opposition leaders decried Maduro for broadly singling out his political opponents, and they warned he may use it to further suppress his critics.
The assailants flew two drones each packed with 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of C-4 plastic explosive toward Maduro, his wife and other top leaders as he spoke Saturday evening at an event celebrating the 81st anniversary of the National Guard, said Interior Minister Nestor Reverol. One of the drones was to explode above the president while the other was to detonate directly in front of him, he added.
But the military managed to knock one of the drones off-course electronically and the other crashed into apartment building two blocks away from where Maduro was speaking to the hundreds of troops, Reverol said.
“We have six terrorists and assassins detained,” Reverol said. “In the next hours there could be more arrests.”
Of those arrested, Reverol said two had previous run-ins with the government, although he did not give their names or say what charges they faced. One took part in 2014 protests that rocked the nation as it descended into an economic crisis that is now worse than the Great Depression. The other had a warrant out for his arrest for participating in an attack on a military barracks.
Smoke damage outside an apartment complex in Caracas where an allegedly armed drone crashed, causing a fire to start. Photograph: Ariana Cubillos/AP
Investigators continued searching a blackened apartment building near the site while also seizing vehicles and raiding more than one hotel where they said they had found “film evidence.”
Two witnesses who live in nearby apartment buildings said they saw a drone hovering over a residential street Saturday evening and then heard an explosion.
One witness showed The Associated Press cellphone video of a drone crashing into a building. He said the drone fell to the ground and exploded, igniting a fire in an apartment.
Another witness, Mairum Gonzalez, described running in panic to her fifth-floor balcony, where she heard the second explosion and saw smoke rising.
“It was so strong the building shook,” she said. “It terrified me.”
What is known about the alleged attack?
The incident happened when Mr Maduro was speaking at an event to mark the 81st anniversary of the national army.
Two drones loaded with explosives went off near the president’s stand, Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said.
Mr Maduro later said in a national address: “A flying object exploded near me, a big explosion. Seconds later there was a second explosion.”
Photos on social media showed bodyguards protecting Mr Maduro with bulletproof shields after the alleged attack.
Mr Maduro accused neighbouring Colombia and elements within the US of instigating “a right-wing plot” to kill him.
He added that he had “no doubt” Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was “behind this attack”.
The Venezuelan leader, who has previously accused the US of plotting against him, provided no evidence to back his claim.
The Colombian government has denied any involvement, saying there is “no basis” to Mr Maduro’s allegations.
By contrast, Mr Rodriguez accused Venezuela’s right-wing opposition of carrying out the attack.
“After losing the vote, they failed again,” Mr Rodriguez said.
He was referring to May’s presidential elections, where Mr Maduro was re-elected for another six-year term.
A uniformed official bleeds from the head following an incident during a speech by Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro. Credit: AP
However, Hasler Inglesias, a youth leader with the opposition Voluntad Popular Party, told the BBC: “We didn’t know what was happening. It’s hard to believe that the opposition is going to make an attempt when they have never made an attempt in this way in 20 years.”
Venezuela’s Interior and Justice Minister Nestor Reverol holds a placard with a picture of a DJI M600 Matrice drone during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela August 5, 2018. Ministry of Interior and Justice/Handout via REUTERS
Meanwhile, a little-known group called Soldiers in T-shirts said on social media that it was behind the alleged attack.
It said it had planned to fly two explosives-laden drones at Mr Maduro, but they were shot down by the military.
The claim was not backed up by any evidence, and the group did not respond to media requests for comment.
To add further to the confusion, firefighters at the scene disputed the government’s version of events, the Associated Press reports.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, three of them said the incident was actually a gas tank explosion inside an apartment, but did not provide further details, the news agency says
Please don’t disseminate this kind of fake news. It was a gas tank explosion nearby and nothing else. The firefighters are right, it was not an attack by a drone.
By turning it into news, you guys are helping a Marxist regime perpetuate the myth that there’s an opposition and that this opposition is trying to kill anyone.
The only people with guns in that country are the military and the drug dealers affiliated with the government.
Please publish a retraction and you will be doing humanity a service.
Juan,
Yes, I had exactly the same reaction.
I would want to see pictures of the charred remains of the drones or at least photos taken by the crowd before the explosion.
But then I read this:
One witness showed The Associated Press cellphone video of a drone crashing into a building. He said the drone fell to the ground and exploded, igniting a fire in an apartment.
Another witness, Mairum Gonzalez, described running in panic to her fifth-floor balcony, where she heard the second explosion and saw smoke rising.
“It was so strong the building shook,” she said. “It terrified me.”
I think that we can at least trust Associated Press and I look forward to seeing more details as they emerge…
The Photo they show is obviously a fire INSIDE the apartment. On the other side of metal burglar bars that are intact. How is it that there is no video of this attack to back it up. Dictators ALWAYS want video of them telling you how well they are doing as your benefactor. Funny, none has surfaced.
Juan,
I am very sorry that you think that you have the absolute truth in your opinion what shows your ignorance of what happened that day in Caracas.
There are videos that show one of the drones exploding near the stage that you incredibly want to deny.
The two drones were a reality. There are people like you who do not know the truth but nevertheless want to deny it. In Venezuela there is a group of Venezuelans who are trying to do something to save the country and it is unfortunate that people like you try to deny it publicly and the worst is that they dare to say that other serious and recognized institutions that inform reality should retract on the topic. If you do not want to accept that, it’s your problem.
These actions will continue so there will be people like you who do not accept them and deny them. You will have your reasons.
Leonardo,
Could you please point us to where we can see these videos ?
I’m sure that would really help.
Thanks !
No way. A drone attack could be fast and accurate (>40mph, 18m second) unless detected and blocked by counter drone systems.
Look at the damage that is from an internal fire not external blast damage with shrapnel you would expect from a Drone EID attack.
Also, you would expect lots more casualties given a 50m blast/shrapnel radius and the number of people out in the open on parade.
PS You should report news like this as it is being related to drones even though it clearly is not a drone attack unless new evidence is provided e.g. fragments of drone.
Fodder for the Drone haters in he US to pass draconian laws limiting/prohibiting hobby drone activity!
Funny, OOOH wait I just happened to have a poster about a drone attack ready for a press conference…. If that had been a M600 they could have leveled buildings with the payload it carries. So obviously it was not an M600. Leave it to this bozo to make all the other multiple millions of peaceful lawful legitimate users suffer through draconian rules and fear mongering.