Alwaght- President Nicolas Maduro has congratulated Venezuela's military for "defeating" plotters of a coup following a day of violence on Tuesday.
Addressing the nation following a sustained attempt by Juan Guaido and the opposition to oust him from power, Maduro has thanked the armed forces for defeating a "small group that tried to fill the country with violence".
Venezuela has been in political turmoil since US-backed opposition figure Juan Guaido declared himself “interim president” late in January.
Confirming that his government has faced several "modalities" of a coup d'état, Maduro pinned Tuesday's violence on the US, who the president believes masterminded the failed attempt to overthrow his government.
"The self-proclaimed, Juan Guaido, and Leopoldo López personally led the coup d'état," Maduro said.
The president also announced the appointment of "three special prosecutors" to examine "criminal" actions by the opposition, noting that "we have colonels wounded by bullets and in intensive care," following the violence instigated by dissidents.
Those military officers who answered Guaido's calls for regime change in the country, Maduro noted, were lured by the opposition "under false pretenses", but once they came to their senses they "left the coup leaders alone" and surrendered.
In the televised address, Maduro also made public the appointment of Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez as the head of the Sebin intelligence agency.
The administration of US President Donald Trump, which immediately recognized Guaido’s self-proclamation, has been mounting economic pressure on Caracas and has repeatedly threatened to use military force to topple Maduro’s government.
Washington has also confiscated Venezuela’s US-based oil assets in an attempt to channel revenue from them to Guaido.
‘Directly planned in Washington’
In a phone interview with Reuters, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said that what had happened earlier in the day was not a coup within the Venezuelan military but something planned by the US authorities against Caracas.
“It is not a coup attempt from the military. This is directly planned in Washington, in the Pentagon and Department of State, and by (US National Security Adviser John) Bolton,” he said.
Arreaza also insisted that the American authorities “are leading this coup and giving orders to this man, Guaido”, reiterating that President Maduro was still in full control of the country with the support of the military.
He also said that what happened on Tuesday was another “chapter” attempted coup led by Washington and the US-backed opposition, vowing that the government would respond to curb the violence and restore order.
US supports coup bid
Later on Tuesday, Bolton appeared to be supporting Guaido’s so-called coup bid, calling on the Venezuela’s armed forces to “protect” the people, to “stand” by opposition leader, and to work against the Maduro’s administration. “The United States stands with the people of Venezuela,” he added.
Furthermore, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, for his part, echoed what Bolton had said, stressing that Washington supports the move against Maduro.
“Today interim President Juan Guaido announced start of Operación Libertad. The US government fully supports the Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom and democracy,” he said in a Twitter post.
Reuters, citing its witnesses, reported that gunshots were heard in La Carlota air force base, where Guaido had gathered a group of armed men in uniforms.
The report said that soldiers loyal to Guaido were exchanging fire with troopers acting in support of Maduro, adding that the shots appeared to be live rounds.
Reports said that one government soldier sustained injuries in the clashes.
Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of openly pushing for a coup in the oil-rich Latin American country by confiscating its state oil assets based in the US and channeling them to Guaido.
Caracas has accused Washington of waging an economic war, which has led to hyperinflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine in Venezuela.
International reaction
Following the clashes between supporters of Guaido and Venezuelan government security forces, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “violence” could not be a solution to political disagreements in Venezuela.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic was closely following the developments in the South American country, stressing that “chaos and violence can, by no means, be a solution to political differences” in the country.
“The best solution can be created by the forces committed to the development and prosperity of Venezuela, under the direction of Venezuela's legitimate government, through establishing dialogue and necessary mechanisms between all parties in order to solve the problems of the people,” he added.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry also called on “the radical opposition” in Venezuela to stand down and “refrain from violence.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry said it was “important to avoid unrest and bloodshed”, stressing that and the country’s problems “should be resolved through a responsible process of negotiation without preconditions.”
Russia, a close ally of Venezuela, also called on the Guaido-led opposition to avoid “destructive interference from abroad.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his part, denounced a “coup attempt” in Venezuela.
“As a country which fought against coups and experienced the negative consequences caused by coups, we condemn the coup attempt in Venezuela,” he said in a Twitter post on Tuesday.
“The entire world must respect the people's democratic preferences in Venezuela,” Erdogan added, stressing that the only way for the country to be governed “is through democratic elections.”
Back in mid-July 2016, a faction in Turkey’s military launched a coup to topple Erdogan, but in a matter of a day it was successfully put down by the government forces.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for “maximum restraint” in Venezuela to avoid violence, a UN spokesman quoted him as saying.
“The secretary general urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint and he appeals to all stakeholders to avoid any violence and take immediate steps to restore calm,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a press conference, adding that the UN chief was ready to mediate if both sides requested his help.
