The Venezuelan Minister of Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, denied this Monday (19) that he had spoken for months with the United States before the attacks on Caracas, on January 3, which resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
“The national government categorically denies the malicious information circulating on digital platforms. It is false and alludes to supposed secret conversations of a conspiratorial nature,” Cabello’s ministry said in a statement.
The ministry’s statement comes after the Reuters news agency published that, according to several sources, officials from Donald Trump’s government maintained contact with the Venezuelan Interior Minister months before the United States captured Maduro.
According to the agency, sources said that members of the ruling party he supervises to attack the country’s opposition.
However, according to the ministry led by Cabello, “these publications intentionally attempt to generate division in the national political high command”.
“In addition, they pursue a clear objective of undermining the prestige and revolutionary integrity” of the minister, says the text.
The statement also repudiates what it describes as “false narratives” and “reiterates its commitment to transparency and unity, fundamental elements for the country’s stability”.
One of the concerns that was raised is that there could be some type of reaction from the Venezuelan security forces, commanded by Cabello.
The Interior Minister is popular among the Chavista bases and is one of the most powerful names in the PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela), the party founded by the late president Hugo Chávez.
After the capture of Nicolás Maduro, several Venezuelan opponents told the CNN Brazil that they were experiencing a moment of “silent joy”, and that they preferred not to speak out for fear of suffering reprisals from the security forces.
