The Minister for Communication and Information, Jorge Rodríguez, informed that the political party Voluntad Popular [Popular Will] (VP), according to the preliminary investigations, was closely related to the action taken by members of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), who stole weapons and kidnapped two officers in a detachment of the GNB in Petare on Monday.
“Voluntad Popular was directly related to the action of this group of military, “he said at a press conference from the Miraflores Palace, broadcast by VTV.
Jorge Rodriguez said that the 51 stolen weapons of war were handed over to civilians to generate violence in the demonstration called by the opposition for January 23. Forty were recovered and the rest of the weapons are in the hands of this terrorist group.
Forty of the weapons were recovered, but 11 of them are in the power of “right-wing groups” with the intention of creating acts of violence, which could be generated during the mobilization on Wednesday, January 23.
In total, 27 people were arrested after the assault carried out by these troops: 25 of them in the Special Security Unit Waraira Repano in Cotiza, and two in another unspecified place, said the president of the National Constituent Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, last Monday.
Rodriguez, referring to the results of the preliminary investigations, said that a “renowned right-wing journalist living in the State of Florida” maintained “direct contact” through the WhatsApp messenger service with the criminals.
He indicated that the group of criminals, that was captured in the Special Unit of Security Waraira Repano, located in Cotiza, went to the Plaza O’Leary in order to join factors of Popular Will. “When they arrived, they notice that no one was there. The so-called civilians of the resistance did not appear,” he added.
Rodríguez denounced the training of terrorist cells in the cities of San Cristóbal (Táchira) and Cúcuta (Colombia).
He said that the National Government warned the organizers of the opposition mobilization, represented by the second deputy of the National Assembly (AN) in contempt, Stalin González, on the intention to establish a climate of chaos and violence. “Sectors of the Bolivarian Government have talked with Stalin González to point out that the initial investigations of these events yesterday, show that they are going to try to generate extreme acts of violence in the opposition demonstrations of tomorrow,” he said.
Rodriguez also rejected the terrorist attack perpetrated on Monday night at the Robert Serra House of Youth and Culture, as well as the José Félix Ribas Monument, located in the parish of La Pastora, Caracas.
“Fascists have a special allergy against books, the good people of Mike Pence completely burned to the foundations the House of Youth and Culture Robert Serra,” he said.
In relation to this event, Rodriguez indicated that the links between VP terrorist groups and factors that carried out isolated acts of violence are fully established.
Translated by JRE/AR
