This archive report was first published on 17 November 2019.
On November 17, 2019, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made a televised statement in which he claimed that military personnel had been jailed in recent months for allegedly supporting US and Colombian efforts to overthrow the government.
Maduro did not provide specific numbers, but stated that the armed forces had thwarted more than 47 attempts to recruit officials to aid in the alleged plots.
According to Maduro, the arrested personnel were allegedly recruited to steal missiles, sabotage Sukhoi aircraft and radars, as well as naval torpedoes and missile defense systems.
Foro Penal, a human rights monitor, has reported that there are 399 political prisoners in Venezuela, including 109 members of the military.
Maduro's comments came in the wake of the resignation of Evo Morales, a close ally of Venezuela's leftist regime, who stepped down as President of Bolivia on November 10, 2019, following three weeks of violent unrest over contested election results.
