委內瑞拉軍隊挫敗叛變軍人領導的襲擊
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday his armed forces crushed a brief attack on a military base led by a rebellious former army officer.
Maduro declared the attack was an act of terrorism financed by the United States and Colombia, but he gave no evidence for that claim in a regular Sunday evening television broadcast.
At least two of the intruders were killed during a firefight early Sunday with military units that overwhelmed the rebels at a base near the city of Valencia, in central Venezuela.
Accounts from Maduro and other Venezuelan officials indicated about 20 people took part in the assault on the Paramacay military base.
Ten of them fled before Venezuelan army units arrived, some carrying off arms, while those left behind exchanged gunfire with soldiers until about 8 a.m. before all were either killed or captured.
Maduro said "an active manhunt" was underway for those who escaped.
"I can't say it another way," Maduro said during his TV appearance. "It is an attack against the armed forces." He congratulated army units that "responded in a united manner, with ... decisiveness."
An army officer who identified himself as Captain Juan Caguaripano posted a video on social media in which he was surrounded by more than a dozen men in military garb, apparently members of the uprising. He declared himself to be in "legitimate rebellion" against what he calls Maduro's "murderous tyranny."
"We clarify this is not a coup d'etat. This is a civilian and military action to restore the constitutional order and, more than that, to save the country from total destruction," Caguaripano declared. He is said to be a deserter from the army who has the support of "right-wing extremists."
Some residents of Valencia demonstrated in support of the attackers, but were dispersed by police.
Four months of anti-government protests have killed more than 120 Venezuelans. The country's social and political turmoil worsened last week when Maduro swore in a hugely unpopular constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution. The assembly has already made its first major move, dismissing Attorney General Luisa Ortega, a former Maduro ally turned vociferous opponent.委內瑞拉總統馬杜羅星期天說，他的委內瑞拉政府軍挫敗了一起由叛變的前軍官指揮的對一個軍營發動的短暫襲擊。
馬杜羅稱，襲擊是美國和哥倫比亞資助的恐怖行徑，但他在星期天晚間的電視節目上沒有提供這一說法的證據。
襲擊星期天凌晨發生在委內瑞拉中部城市瓦倫西亞附近的一個軍營。至少有兩名闖入軍營的人被打死，政府軍完全壓制住了反叛人員。
馬杜羅和其他委內瑞拉官員說，約20人蔘與了對軍營的襲擊。
其中10人在委內瑞拉政府軍趕來前逃離，其中有人搬走了一些軍火。剩餘人員與政府軍發生了交火，直到上午8點。他們不是被抓就是被擊斃。
馬杜羅說，對逃離人員的追捕正在進行之中。
馬杜羅在電視上說：“這是一起針對武裝部隊的襲擊。”他稱讚軍隊的反應“團結、果斷”。
一名自稱是胡安·卡瓜裏帕諾的上尉的軍官在社交媒體上發佈的視頻中被十多名身着軍裝的人簇擁着，顯然是叛變者。他聲稱，自己是對馬杜羅這個“兇殘暴君”發動“合法反抗”。
卡瓜裏帕諾說：“我們澄清，這不是一場政變。這是平民和軍人爲恢復憲法秩序，而且是爲了拯救國家免於遭到全面毀滅所採取的行動。”據說，他是一名軍隊叛變者，有“右翼極端主義者”的支持。
瓦倫西亞一些居民舉行了示威活動，對襲擊軍營的人員表示支持，後來被警察驅散。
四個月的反政府示威活動造成120多名委內瑞拉人喪生。上星期，馬杜羅讓一個極不受歡迎的制憲大會宣誓就職，使該國的社會和政治混亂局面進一步加劇。制憲大會已經採取了一項重大行動，將委內瑞拉總檢察長奧特加解職。奧特加曾經是馬杜羅的盟友，後來高調反對馬杜羅。
