Venezuela says foiled ‘false flag’ bomb plot targeting US embassy in Caracas
Alleged plot revealed as Venezuela-US tensions simmer over Washington’s military deployment in the Caribbean
President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday that Venezuela foiled a false flag operation by what he called local terrorists to plant explosives at the US embassy in Caracas and exacerbate a dispute between the two countries over drug trafficking.
Speaking on his weekly TV show, Maduro said two sources which he did not name “agreed on the possibility that a local terrorist group placed an explosive device at the US embassy in Caracas” in order to aggravate the dispute with Washington.
Jorge Rodriguez, head of Venezuela’s delegation for dialogue with its arch-foe, said earlier that Caracas had warned Washington of “a serious threat” from alleged extremists who “attempted to plant lethal explosives at the US embassy”.
“We have reinforced security measures at this diplomatic mission,” added Rodriguez.
The South American nation’s socialist government often accuses the opposition of plots.