Venezuela Bans Flights from Colombia Amid Alleged Plot to Destabilize

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela has banned flights from neighboring Colombia following the detention of over 30 individuals accused of plotting to destabilize the country. The government announced this immediate ban, which will extend beyond Sunday, coinciding with elections for governors and National Assembly members.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated that the anti-government plans included placing explosives at embassies and other significant facilities in Venezuela. He reported that authorities arrested 21 Venezuelans and 17 foreigners, some of whom possess Colombian, Mexican, and Ukrainian citizenship.

Cabello suggested, without providing evidence, that the suspects were collaborating with political opposition members in Venezuela. He described the group as comprising experts in explosives, human smugglers, and mercenaries.

Amid the allegations, Cabello during a televised meeting with military leaders claimed that individuals from an Albanian crime organization, linked to drug trafficking in Ecuador, were also connected to this plot. The investigation into their activities is reportedly ongoing.

These arrests follow the recent departure of opposition members who had spent more than a year at a diplomatic compound in Caracas to avoid arrest. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a faction of the opposition referred to their exit as an international rescue operation, a claim that Cabello has strongly denied.