Venezuelan Minister for the Interior Diosdado Cabello explains the connections among various individuals associated with the "No to Christmas" coup plot. Photo: VTV.
Venezuelan Minister of the Interior Diosdado Cabello reported on the dismantling of the “No to Christmas” coup plot, which had been planned in Zulia state by a group of businesspeople led by José Enrique Rincón, who has direct links with Iván Simonovis, María Corina Machado, Tomás Guanipa, and Juan Pablo Guanipa.
In a press conference on Saturday, November 23, Cabello reported that Rincón had created a wide criminal network, having been able to capture judges, prosecutors, and military personnel in that net. Rincón left the country when the investigation into the Maracaibo mayor’s office began, out of fear of being implicated, and abroad he suffered a health problem and he is now in Spain. Two of his sons, Juan Diego Rincón Sabatino and José Enrique Rincón Sabatino, are also involved, as well as members of the Justice First party, a journalist, and a lawyer whose identities have not been revealed due to the ongoing investigation.
Telesur journalist Madelein García reported that Cabello further revealed that about 100 people have been detained for being allegedly associated with the coup, and around 90 companies are linked with it. Rincón is the biggest shrimp businessman in Venezuela, the journalist added.
Cabello reported that, after infiltrating the coup plotters’ meetings, Venezuelan security personnel discovered the location of a site where a group of paramilitaries was being trained. From there, several weapons have been seized: six Galil rifles, one M4 rifle, eight AK-47 rifles, six M-16 rifles, one grenade launcher with 10 grenades, one Glock pistol, a drone. “Some of the rifles were from the Colombian Army, probably stolen,” Cabello noted.
He added that part of the plan was to deliver weapons and explosives to prison gang leaders and detainees, and there were such networks in three other states of Venezuela.
The minister explained that there are training zones in Ecuador, and that the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang who has been detained in Colombia was in a meeting with 15 other people planning this operation. He was arrested by Colombian authorities working together with Venezuelan authorities.
Cabello explained that, given Rincón’s infiltration of the judiciary and security agencies in Zulia, “for the investigations, we sent officials only from Caracas. No official from the state of Zulia is participating, not a single one. The personnel from Caracas did not even go by plane; we sent them by car with enough advance notice, because when we started the investigation, we realized that it was riddled with corruption and that everything is controlled by Mr. Rincón.”
He added that, a few days ago, he received a message from a lieutenant who requested authorization to investigate Rincón’s companies, and he had not been provided the authorization, he had been told “that man is untouchable,” which gives an idea of his power. “That is where the financing for María Corina Machado comes from: it comes from drug trafficking, and she is backed by Colombian paramilitary groups led by Duque and Uribe,” the minister emphasized.
He reiterated that María Corina Machado and her group are behind these operations. “The incident in the east [the fire at the Muscar plant and gas pipeline in Monagas] had occurred, Delcy [Rodríguez] was there with her team working round the clock, and they attacked Falcón one day later. This is to make us realize that there is an enormous plan to harm the country.”
“Today, the state of Nueva Esparta [Margarita] is still suffering power problems because of María Corina Machado, because of Simonovis, because of their hero Erik Prince, because of the mercenaries and terrorists,” Cabello continued. “Sometimes we do not say things in public to avoid alarming the people, but if they do not stop, we would not stop either, and we will defeat them.”
He warned that the paramilitaries are training to attack key targets, such as electrical facilities, oil facilities, the Guri hydroelectric plant. He indicated that there are plans to use drones with explosives against oil and electrical facilities. “They are training people for this. The leaders of the Bolivarian Revolution are targets of assassination,” he added.
“This case is in early development,” he commented. “At this moment, we are raiding companies, we have found more weapons and laptops. Tomorrow they will claim that this is a lie, but we will continue our work for peace.”
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
