CARACAS: Seven Venezuelanlink military officerswere killed on Saturday when their helicopter crashed outside Caracas,PresidentNicolas Maduro link said.
The helicopter had left the Venezuelan capital heading to San Carlos in thecountry’s northwest when it went down in a mountainous area of the ElHatillo municipality, the defence ministry said in a statement.
On Twitter, Maduro mourned the loss of “seven worthy officers of thecountry”, including two majors, three captains and two lieutenant colonels.
The defence ministry said an investigation into the cause of the crash wasunder way.
Maduro was in San Carlos on Saturday, leading military exercises with topbrass and more than 5,000 troops.
It was a show of strength against opposition leader Juan Guaidolink,whose attempt to launch a military uprising earlier in the week had failed.
Guaido, the president of the country’s National Assembly, was continuinghis efforts to persuade the armed forces to abandon Maduro.
The opposition leader made a fresh bid on Saturday to rally the country’sarmed forces behind him, calling on his supporters to march to militarybases and barracks.
But there was a small turnout for the marches, with participants in thehundreds, not the thousands. This was another setback for Guaido followinga failed military uprising earlier in the week.
Maduro on Saturday instructed the military “to be ready to defend thehomeland with weapons in your hands if one day the US empire dares to touchthis territory, this sacred earth”.
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Underscoring the continued military support for his government, Madurodelivered his televised address from a base in the northwestern Cojedesstate, where he appeared alongside defence minister, Vladimir Padrino, andin the presence of more than 5,000 troops.
The United States has refused to take the threat of military action off thetable in its push to oust Maduro — although it so far has limited itscampaign to ramping up sanctions.
Guaido’s cause gained renewed support on Saturday from US Secretary ofState Mike Pompeo, who issued a video address to the Venezuelan people,telling them: “The time for transition is now.”
“You can hold your institutions, your military and their leaders to thehighest standards and demand a return to democracy,” Pompeo said in themessage. “The United States stands firmly with you in your quest.”
Guaido, 35, has branded Maduro a usurper over his re-election last year,and in January declared himself acting president, plunging Venezuela into apolitical crisis that has deepened its already grave economic woes.
But Maduro has held firm, bolstered by the continued support of thepowerful armed forces.
“I told the generals and admirals yesterday: loyalty, I want an activeloyalty… I trust you, but keep your eyes open, a handful of traitors cannottarnish the honour, the unity, the cohesion and the image of the armedforces,” the president said, in his speech from the military base. -APP/AFP
