Foreigners Arrested in Venezuela Amidst Accusations of Assassination Plot Against Maduro

President Maduro, Interior Minister Cabello, and other Venezuelan government officials hold a public hearing (Flickr)

The Venezuelan government arrested a fourth U.S. citizen on Wednesday, September 18, amid continued unrest following the contested July 28 election.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accused the man–along with three other Americans, two Spaniards, and a Czech citizen–of conspiring to kill Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The Venezuelan government charged the most recent arrestee with taking photos of electric, oil, and military institutions. As of now, the fourth detainee’s name has not been publicly released. The others are Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez, David Estrella, Aaron Barrett Logan, Jose María Basoa Valdovinos, Andres Martínez Adasme, and Jan Darmovrzal. 

The charges come amidst escalating protests following Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election. While Venezuela’s Electoral Council has claimed Maduro won 52 percent of the vote, it has yet to provide a breakdown of voting data. Meanwhile, opposition leader Edmundo González said he was coerced to sign a letter conceding the election. He claimed that he earned double the votes of Maduro using voting tally sheets the opposition took from 80 percent of voting machines. Now, González and many of his supporters have fled the country to avoid prosecution. Already, 2000 have been arrested by the Venezuelan government for protesting the election results, and thousands more are fleeing to neighboring states. If the trend continues, it’ll spell a possible refugee crisis for bordering states. Miriam Kornblith, Senior Director of Latin America for NED, called Maduro’s administration “a massive operation of voter suppression” when speaking to Georgetown Students on Tuesday, September 17.

These recent arrests are a sign of increasing tensions between the two countries. In the past, Venezuela has used political detainees to gain leverage over western powers. Most recently, Maduro’s government traded ten Americans to gain pardon for Maduro supporter Alex Saab. The Venezuelan government accused the latest detainees of working for the CIA and Spanish Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CID), although both organizations have denied any involvement. In response to the kidnappings, both the U.S. and Spanish governments have recognized González as the winner. 

So far, Maduro has sidestepped the western world, partnering with countries such as Russia, China, and Iran, all of which have already recognized his proclamation of electoral victory. Originally harboring dreams of Major League Baseball, Maduro joined MBR 200–Hugo Chavez’s political party—in the 1990s and campaigned for Chavez’s release from prison. Maduro then spent the next two decades serving as a political representative, President of Parliament, chancellor, vice president, and leader of Partido Socialista Unido. 

Knowing Maduro’s firm hold in Venezuela and strong connections abroad, it’s unlikely that official statements or sanctions alone will bring back the detainees. Instead, western powers will likely need to seek another prisoner swap with Maduro’s administration to bring their citizens back home.