Venezuela orders the arrest of opposition politicians after drone explosion.
Venezuelan opposition parliamentarian Juan Requesens, a former student leader, was arrested Tuesday night in connection with the launching of two DJI M600 drones filled with C4 explosives.
Reuters - Venezuela confirmed the arrest of one lawmaker and ordered the detention of another on Wednesday, accusing opposition politicians of plotting to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro with drones carrying explosives at a rally last weekend.
Two drones exploded during a military parade on Saturday, injuring seven officers and causing soldiers to seek cover during a speech by Maduro broadcast live on TV. Maduro was not injured.
Brazil's pro-government Supreme Court announced Wednesday that opposition leader Julio Borges, a former president of Congress, was implicated in the scheme and ordered his arrest. Borges, who is in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Another lawmaker, 29-year-old former student leader Juan Requesens, was arrested Tuesday night, also in connection with the launching of two DJI M600 drones packed with C4 explosives.
"They are true murderers!", said Elvis Amoroso, vice-president of the powerful Constituent Assembly.
Authorities have provided scant evidence linking the lawmakers to the incident, aside from an alleged confession broadcast on state television.
Opponents of the government said Maduro is using the incident to suppress dissent and cement his power in the oil-rich country, which suffers from food shortages, hyperinflation, and frequent power cuts.
"This is a cowardly government that never tires of persecuting, with lies, those who think differently," tweeted opposition MP Jorge Millan.