© Matias Delacroix / AP
Security forces patrol near the shore in the port city of La Guaira, Venezuela, May 3, 2020.
The government of Venezuela is celebrating after thwarting another foreign-backed coup attempt Sunday, just two days after self-declared another coup attempt by "Interim President" Juan Guaidó ended in total
failure. A flotilla of small speed boats filled with up to
300 paramilitary units, sailed from their training ground in Colombia heading for a port near the country's capital Caracas, from where they were aiming to kickstart an insurrection. They confidently predicted they would be in the Miraflores presidential palace within 96 hours. However, the mission went spectacularly wrong almost immediately, as they were intercepted by the Venezuelan Navy, who reportedly killed at least eight in the fighting at sea, capturing many others.
Interior Minister Nestor Reverol
appeared on television to inform the public that in the early hours of Sunday,
"A maritime invasion was attempted by a group of terrorist mercenaries coming from Colombia with the intent of committing acts of terrorism in the country, assassinating leaders of the revolutionary government, increase the spiral of violence, generate chaos and confusion among the public, and from that, spark a new attempt at a coup d'etat."
Reverol praised the quick response of the armed forces and police in repelling the invasion. "It would seem that the foiled imperialists' attempts to overthrow the legitimately constituted government led by Nicolas Maduro has pushed them to formulate excessive actions that, without any doubt, deserve the forceful repudiation of our people and the international community," he concluded.
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