Members of the Venezuelan Presidential Honor Guard protect President Nicolas Maduro after a drone exploded near the front of the presidential stage in Caracas on Aug. 4, 2018. Photo: Zuma Press/Xinhua/file photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The Venezuelan government, through Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, expressed Saturday night her rejection of the incident during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which was an alleged assassination attempt against US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
The statement followed a security breach that forced the emergency evacuation of the presidential couple during the annual press gala in Washington. Analysts noted that Rodríguez’s statement was among the first issued by Latin American leaders regarding the event.
Rodríguez extended her goodwill to the president, his wife, and the event attendees, emphasizing that violence is never an option for those defending the banners of peace.
Hypocrisy and the 2026 kidnapping of President Maduro
The statement highlighted a stark paradox in international relations. During the drone assassination attempt against President Nicolás Maduro in August 2018, the White House and mainstream corporate media cast doubt on the evident signs of political violence, and no official condemnation was issued by the US government.
Acting President Rodríguez’s statement reiterated Venezuela’s commitment to peaceful resolutions, despite the fact that US imperialism was responsible for the kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, last January. That criminal operation resulted in the deaths of more than 100 human beings.
Chavista analysts in Venezuela and international supporters criticized on social media the speed of Rodríguez’s statement. They noted that it failed to mention the multiple instances of political violence orchestrated by Washington against President Maduro and the millions of Venezuelans suffering under a decade-long battery of illegal US sanctions.
Details of the Washington incident
The security incident occurred Saturday night in the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Secret Service agents, alerted by gunshots, immediately evacuated Vice President JD Vance and later the controversial US ruler from the stage.
Reports from the scene confirmed a heavy deployment of armed tactical teams who took control of the premises. The Secret Service confirmed that the alleged shooter is alive and in custody. US authorities later identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a resident of Torrance, California, with an outstanding academia and technology background.
In 2017, Allen graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he gained recognition for inventing an emergency brake prototype for wheelchairs.
Terrorist attack in Cauca, Colombia
Also on Saturday, Venezuela announced on social media its strongest condemnation of an atrocious terrorist attack in the “El Túnel” sector of the Cajibio municipality, in the department of Cauca, Colombia.
In an official statement released by Foreign Minister Yván Gil, the attack was labeled a terrorist act that violated the population’s right to life, peace, and stability. A bomb exploded on the Pan-American Highway, the primary route in southwestern Colombia, damaging numerous vehicles.
Venezuela and Colombia Reach Broad Agreements Following Presidential Meeting in Caracas
According to figures released by Colombian media, the explosion killed 15 people. Among the 37 injured were five minors, who were prioritized for emergency medical care. President Petro condemned the attack and ordered the activation of international mechanisms against the responsible “narco-terrorist group,” moving to denounce its leaders before the International Criminal Court.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/JB
