Venezuela reached a grim milestone today as it surpassed 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
According to Maduro, there were 15 new cases of the virus detected in the country today, bringing the total since the outbreak began to 106. Maduro said that four of the new cases were reported in Miranda state, while three were reported in the Capital District (Caracas). These two jurisdictions lead the country in COVID-19 infections.
Regime Claims Assassination Attempt Against Maduro Thwarted
Minister of Communication Jorge Rodriguez held a press conference today during which he said that an assassination attempt against Maduro had been thwarted. Rodriguez claims that a group of assassins attempted to smuggle dozens of weapons and equipment into Venezuela earlier this week, with which they planned to kill Maduro.
During the press conference, Rodriquez explained that Colombian border authorities had intercepted a vehicle that was attempting to enter Venezuela on March 23. Rodriguez claims that aboard that vehicle was an arsenal that included the following weapons and equipment:
- 15 AR-14 rifles
- 36 rifle stocks
- 28 night-vision goggles
- 8 rifle silencers
- 4 binoculars
Without providing any evidence, Rodriguez blamed the governments of the United States and Colombia for organizing the alleged attempt against Maduro’s life. Rodriguez claimed that the individuals who were going to carry out the assassination were “mercenaries” who were trained inside Colombia by United States assets, and directly implicated Colombian president Ivan Duque in the plot.
Venezuela suffers from one of the highest murder rates on the planet, and firearms–including military-style assault rifles–are a relatively common sight in the hands of criminal groups. Rodriguez did not make clear why an assassination attempt against Maduro would risk discovery by importing weapons from abroad, when they could much more easily be found in Venezuela.
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In Venezuela 