Venezuela asks Interpol to arrest politician over alleged assassination plot targeting president
Opposition figures accuse Maduro of using the drone incident to step up repression and persecution of the opposition
Venezuela said on Friday it has asked Interpol to arrest an opposition politician exiled in Colombia and accused of involvement in an apparent attack against President Nicolas Maduro.
“We are seeking code red for Mr Julio Borges,” Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said, referring to the former speaker of the National Assembly.
The request for an Interpol red notice – calling for police in another country to locate and provisionally arrest a suspect wanted in another – follows what Venezuelan officials said was a drone assassination attempt on Maduro last weekend.
Two drones packed with explosives flew toward Maduro as he was attending a military parade in Caracas, officials said. When a detonation occurred, soldiers were seen running away in panic.
Authorities say they have detained 10 suspects whom they accuse of involvement with support from neighbouring Colombia and from unidentified figures in the United States. Another 10 unidentified people are implicated and not yet arrested, the government said.
One of those detained is another opposition lawmaker, Juan Requesens, who was seized by intelligence officers at his home this week.
