Venezuelan opposition politician María Corina Machado. Photo: Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg.
Venezuelan Minister for the Interior Diosdado Cabello accused far-right opposition politician María Corina Machado of planning violent events to sabotage the canonization of José Gregorio Hernández and Mother Carmen Rendiles.
According to Cabello, this religious event, scheduled for October 19, has become the target of destabilization plots that Machado has devised in collaboration with terrorist groups, with the aim of generating panic in the country and destabilizing President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
During his television program Con El Mazo Dando on Wednesday, September 24, Cabello warned that there is a plan of assassinations with snipers and the use of explosives in the days leading up to and following the canonization. He also claimed that some members of the Episcopal Conference are in cahoots with Machado.
He also presented pieces of confessions made by mercenaries who attempted to enter Venezuela without authorization. He added that if Machado fails to achieve her goal of creating chaos, she plans to leave the country between October 20 and 27.
Growing public opinion against the far right
Cabello’s accusations come amid growing public opinion against the far right’s actions. According to a recent study by the polling firm Datanálisis, 64.6% of Venezuelans reject María Corina Machado’s role as an opposition leader. Another survey conducted by Dataviva shows that Machado has a 92% disapproval rating among respondents, which confirms the Venezuelan people’s defense of their national sovereignty.
Venezuelan authorities have repeatedly denounced María Corina Machado’s destabilization plots. Earlier this year, authorities dismantled a destabilization plan that the far right had plotted under orders from Marco Rubio, the secretary of State of the US. Earlier in 2018, Machado had called upon “Israel” to militarily invade Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government has reaffirmed that it will continue to defend the nation’s sovereignty and will not allow the far right to undermine peace.
(RedRadioVE) by Jhulimar Fraga
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
