The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, accused two Spanish citizens, José María Basoa and Andrés Martínez Adasme, of being “terrorists” without presenting any evidence. He also insisted on linking them to the Spanish National Intelligence Center (CNI), a claim that the Spanish government vehemently denied. Maduro made these accusations during his television program, Con Maduro +, further escalating tensions between Caracas and Madrid. Despite the families of the detained individuals asserting that they entered Venezuela as tourists on August 17th, Maduro continued to assert that they were undercover agents without providing any evidence to support his claims.
The accusations from the Venezuelan government come amidst a crisis between the two countries that intensified following the Venezuelan presidential elections on July 28th. Pressure was mounting on Maduro to reveal the electoral records in order to be recognized as the legitimate president. Relations deteriorated further when the opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, released copies of the documents that supported his victory. In response, Maduro launched an offensive against Spain after the veteran diplomat sought asylum in Madrid. The Spanish Congress recognized González Urrutia as the elected president, and the Spanish Defense Minister referred to the Venezuelan government as a “dictatorship,” prompting a swift reaction from the chavismo leadership.
Amidst the diplomatic crisis, the Venezuelan government, led by Jorge Rodríguez, proposed expelling major Spanish businesses from the country in response to Spain’s actions. Although this threat was not met with a public response, tensions continued to escalate. The Venezuelan Foreign Minister called the Venezuelan ambassador to Madrid for consultations and summoned the Spanish representative in Caracas, following standard protocol in diplomatic crises. The subsequent announcement of the arrests of the two Spaniards near Puerto Ayacucho, coupled with accusations of involvement in a plot against Maduro, further strained relations between the two countries.
Diosdado Cabello, a key figure in the chavismo leadership, announced the detention of the two Spaniards during his appearance on Maduro’s television program. Cabello, who is now the Minister of Interior and Justice and second in command within the chavismo, claimed that the individuals were caught in a “irregular situation” near the local airport. He went on to implicate the Biden administration and suggest that Spanish intelligence is tied to the CIA. Cabello also alleged that five individuals, including the two Spaniards, were part of a conspiracy to assassinate President Maduro. The Venezuelan authorities displayed a cache of 400 seized weapons, purportedly belonging to the alleged plotters, during a press conference.
The Spanish government vehemently denied any involvement in destabilizing Venezuela or engaging in a conspiracy. Spanish officials insisted on concrete evidence from Venezuela to support their accusations and maintained communication with the families of the detained individuals. The Spanish Embassy in Caracas assured that they would provide diplomatic and consular protection to their nationals and pressed for official information and clarification of the charges against the detainees. Despite these developments, the crisis in diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Spain continues, with both sides standing their ground and demanding accountability and transparency in the handling of the situation.
