Venezuela asks Interpol to arrest lawmaker over alleged assassination attempt

Venezuela has called on the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to arrest an opposition legislator exiled in Colombia and accused of involvement in an apparent assassination attempt on President Nicolas Maduro last week.

“We are seeking code red for Mr. Julio Borges,” said Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez on Friday, referring to the former speaker of the country’s National Assembly.

The Venezuelan government’s request for an Interpol red notice, which is a request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition, follows what Venezuelan officials said was a drone assassination attempt on Maduro on August 4, when he was giving a speech at a military parade in capital Caracas.

Two explosives-laden drones flew toward Maduro as he was attending the event, Venezuelan authorities said at the time. When a detonation occurred, soldiers were seen running away in panic. Maduro and his wife as well as top government officials escaped unharmed from the purported assassination attempt.

PressTV-Maduro escapes explosive drone attack

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro survives an assassination attempt with explosive carrying drones.

Maduro's government initially blamed former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos — whose presidency ended on Tuesday — and elements in the United States.

Then, a group calling itself “Soldiers in T-shirts” claimed responsibility via an exiled dissident based in the US.

Venezuelan police have so far arrested a number of suspects whom they accuse of involvement with support from Colombia and from unidentified figures in the US.

Both the US and Colombia denied the accusation.

One of those detained is another opposition lawmaker, Juan Requesens, who was arrested by police at his home earlier this week.

Earlier on Friday, Caracas said Requesens had admitted to having communicated through a message service with another detained suspect, retired soldier Juan Monasterios, who has purportedly admitted to participating in the alleged attack.

Rodriguez presented a video excerpt in which Requesens is allegedly heard telling a prosecutor that Borges had wanted him to smuggle Monasterios into Colombia.

Borges and other opposition figures have already accused Maduro of using the drone incident to step up repression of dissent.

Venezuela is beset by political and economic crises. Political bickering has turned into armed violence and unrest, which last year killed some 120 people from both the pro- and anti-government camps.

There has also been massive inflation, and basic commodities such as foodstuffs and medicine have been short on the market, forcing many people to emigrate.

The Venezuelan president often claims that the US, which has imposed sanctions against officials in his government, is orchestrating attempts to topple him as part of a wider offensive against Latin American leaders defying the US hegemony.

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