Excerpt
Maduro congratulates military for ‘defeating’ coup attempt as Guaido calls for more protests
May 1, 2019
Maduro called the opposition supporters a “small group that tried to fill the country with violence” and confirmed his government has faced several “modalities” of a coup d’état.
#LIVE | President @NicolasMaduro: “80% of those soldiers who were brought along for the coup had been tricked into it…they were told they were carrying out another operation, but as soon as they saw Leopoldo Lopez and opposition leaders, they left.” pic.twitter.com/2lbztpCVmk
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) 1 May 2019
He pinned Tuesday’s violence on the US, who the president believes masterminded the failed attempt to overthrow his government.
#EnVivo | “Nuestra causa es enfrentar todos los días los problemas que tiene nuestro pueblo producto de las sanciones y las agresiones imperialistas ¡Nuestra causa es la causa de Bolívar, no la de Monroe!”, puntualizó el presidente @NicolasMaduro pic.twitter.com/HFxI2D3Bfk
— Prensa Presidencial (@PresidencialVen) 1 May 2019
The president also announced the appointment of “three special prosecutors” to examine “criminal” actions by the opposition, noting that “we have colonels wounded by bullets and in intensive care.”
Some of the protests were peaceful and others led to intense skirmishes, yet fatalities were avoided throughout the day. A few dozen people were injured by rubber bullets, tear gas and – allegedly – live ammunition. An armored vehicle was also recorded ramming into a cluster of Guaido supporters.
At least five soldiers and two colonels were also injured in the clashes after being shot by coup plotters, Maduro claimed. At the onset of the violence, Venezuela’s defense minister warned early in the day that the army would resort to force if necessary.
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