The fresh claims about the details of the failed April 30 coup attempt in Venezuela come months after US-backed opposition figure Juan Guaido proclaimed himself “interim president” and called for the overthrow of the government. The plot failed after key officials expected to support it vowed their allegiance to President Nicolas Maduro instead.
RELATED CONTENT: Venezuela Unveils New Coup Plot Against President Maduro
An opposition attempt to stage a coup against the government fell apart in part because a key security official expected to be part of the plot unexpectedly lost interest and watched Marvel’s new superhero movie instead, Gen. Manuel Cristopher Figuera, Venezuela’s ex-intelligence service chief, has claimed.
Speaking to The Washington Post, Figuera said that during talks with Defense Minister Gen. Vladimir Padrino Lopez, who was expected to join the scheme, Padrino supposedly showed initial interest, but during a follow-up phone call, changed his mind, saying he was watching “Avengers: Endgame”, and “didn’t want to talk”.
RELATED CONTENT: Russian Military Plane IL-62 Flying Back from Caracas to Moscow Today
Gen. Padrino has not commented on the WaPo story or Figuera’s claims.
Figuera was approached by the opposition shortly after being targeted by US sanctions. Last month, after the failure of the April 30 coup attempt, Figuera fled to Colombia. The US announced that the sanctions against him had been lifted. On Monday, he arrived in the United States.
- September 8, 2024