Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 6 august 2018
Witnesses describe drone attack in Venezuela; 6 arrested

By SCOTT SMITH was delivering a televised
Associated Press speech to hundreds of sol-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) diers. He and his wife, Cilia
— Investigators searched Flores, looked up at the sky
a blackened apartment and winced after hearing
building Sunday where wit- an explosion.
nesses described seeing Visibly shaken, he later said
a drone and then hearing in a televised broadcast
a thunderous explosion that he saw a "flying de-
in what President Nicolas vice" that exploded. He at
Maduro called an assassi- first thought it might be a
nation attempt by the em- pyrotechnics display.
battled nation's opposition. Within seconds, Maduro
Authorities said they have said he heard a second
arrested six people sus- blast and pandemonium
pected in Saturday's failed broke out. Bodyguards es-
attack with two explosives- corted him from the event,
laden drones. covering him in black
Opposition leaders decried shields, and TV footage
Maduro for broadly singling showed uniformed soldiers
out his political opponents break formation and scat-
for the attack without pro- ter.
viding any evidence, and Maduro, a deeply unpopu-
they warned that he may lar president who was re-
use it to further suppress cently elected to a new
those critical of his govern- term in an internationally
ment at a time of a crip- condemned vote, later
pling economic and hu- gave an impassioned re-
manitarian crisis. In this photo, security personnel surround Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during an inci- telling of the event.
The government de- dent as he was giving a speech in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018. "This was an attempt to kill
nounced the attack as Associated Press me," he said.
an attempt to kill not only Maduro said the "far right"
Maduro but an entire rank ment officials offered few violence. The Associated Press cell- working in coordination
of the government's top new details, saying only Two witnesses who live in phone video of a drone with detractors in Bogota
leadership that was stand- that the incident involved nearby apartment build- hovering over the street and Miami, including Co-
ing beside him on a plat- two drones, one of which ings say they saw a drone and then crashing into a lombian President Juan
form to celebrate the Na- crashed into an apartment hovering over a residential building. The witness, who Manuel Santos, were re-
tional Guard's 81st anniver- building two blocks from street and then heard a did not want to be identi- sponsible. Colombia's gov-
sary. where Maduro was speak- forceful explosion. fied for fear of reprisal, said ernment has vehemently
In a stern message on state ing. Maerum Gonzalez said she he then saw the drone fall denied that Santos had
television, Defense Minister Of the six arrested, Interior ran in terror to her fifth-floor to the ground, setting off any participation in the
Vladimir Padrino Lopez said Minister Nestor Reverol said balcony and then heard a an explosion. drone attack.
anyone who attacks Ven- two had previously been second explosion and saw The witness said he saw po- The Broad Front opposition
ezuela "will be met with a detained in street protests. smoke rising. lice arrest a man purported alliance accused the gov-
forceful response." Venezuela has been peri- "It was so strong the build- to be piloting the drone. ernment of leaping to as-
As is often the case in odically rocked by demon- ing shook," she said. "I said, Information Minister Jorge sumptions and of making
Venezuela, accounts of strations over shortages of 'Oh my God, what hap- Rodriguez said the incident "irresponsible" accusations
exactly what happened food and medical supplies pened? It terrified me.'" took place shortly after 5:30 castigating all the opposi-
remained murky. Govern- that officials claim incite Another witness showed p.m. Saturday as Maduro tion without any proof.q