Caracas, The President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro has urged the Peruvian government to arrest a Venezuelan opponent, whom he accused of being responsible for an assault on military barracks in the south of the country.
“I ask that this terrorist named Vilca Fernandez, who on social media took responsibility for the attack on the Venezuelan military barracks, be captured under international laws,” Nicolas Maduro said in a speech on state radio and television on Monday.
Maduro’s government said on Sunday that an armed “ultra-rightwing” group robbed weapons from a military facility in the state of Amazonas, which borders Brazil, Efe news reported.
He linked the attack to the head of Parliament, Juan Guaido, who has been recognised by more than 50 countries as the President of Venezuela.
Maduro also pointed the finger at opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez – currently residing as a guest at the residence of Jesus Silva, the Spanish ambassador in Caracas – and legislator Gilber Caro.
According to the official version, a rocket launcher and other weapons were taken in the assault, and the arms would be used by the Colombian government led by Ivan Duque to attack one of their own aircrafts, making it appear like an attack by Venezuela.
This would then create a situation for the United States government to launch and justify a military intervention against the Maduro government.
The Venezuelan president termed this act as “terrorism,” and urged the Peruvian government to capture Fernandez and deport him to Venezuela to face justice, as there was no such thing as “good terrorism.”
Fernandez had been in prison since 2016 without much information released about the reason for his detention, while the opposition claimed that he was a political prisoner.
Upon his release in 2018, he left for Peru, and the opposition alleged that he had been exiled from the country.
Maduro also asked Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to arrest several people linked to the attack on the military facilities, who he claimed were hiding in that country.
The governments of Colombia, Brazil and Peru have already been the subjects of Maduro’s accusations.
