MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuela rejects accusations of “hosting” armed groups that attempt against Colombian institutions

“Once again they are trying to use Venezuela to try and hide the tragedy of their country”, twitted foreign minister Jorge Arreaza

Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Arreaza rejected accusations from the Colombian government regarding the recent attack on the helicopter of president Ivan Duque in the city of Cúcuta and claimed Bogotá is using his country to hide the tragedy of its neighbour.

“Once again they are trying to use Venezuela to try and hide the tragedy of their country: full of violence and armed groups, with its economy and political elite dependent on the drugs trade, a repressive police, daily massacres and killings of social leaders, exporters of mercenaries involved in major assassinations...” twitted Arreaza

Colombia's defence minister Diego Molano said that “the attack against president Duque and the 30th Brigade in Cucuta was planned from Venezuela”, and called on the international community to reflect how the government of Nicolas Maduro continues to host terrorists who systematically plan attacks on Colombian institutions.

However Colombian Attorney General Francisco Barbosa pointed out that retired Colombian Army captain Andres Fernando Medina was who designed and executed the 25 June attack against the helicopter transporting president Duque to the city of Cucuta. Previous to this Medina had allegedly organized an attack on the Brigade with a car bomb. Both the Attorney's office and the Defense ministry consider him the mastermind behind the assassination attempt. He is described by local media as a very capable helicopter pilot, trained by the US and who retired in 2016 after twelve years of service.

Attorney Barbosa said he had “material proof and technical evidence” linking the so-called Front 33, a dissident group from the original FARC Colombian guerrillas, under the leadership of a “Jhon Mechas” and who normally operates from Venezuela to the assassination attempt against Duque. But so far the retired pilot's name has not been linked to the FARC dissident groups or the motives for the attacks.

Last February the High Commissioner for Peace in Colombia Miguel Ceballos stated that Venezuelan president Maduro is an accomplice of the ELN guerrilla group and dissident FARC.

“The presence of the ELN and dissident FARC in Venezuela has been more than proved”, underlined Ceballos who accused Maduro as an accomplice of the organized armed groups which are linked to all the terrible crimes committed against the Colombian people.”