Caracas Mayor Arrested Over 'Coup Plot'

Venezuelan police have arrested Caracas mayor and opposition leader Antonio Ledezma, who the Venezuelan government has accused of helping plan what it says was a U.S.-backed coup against the socialist government. Heavily armed security forces, outfitted in masks and camouflaged uniforms, on Thursday seized Ledezma after breaking down the doors of his office in the banking district and firing warning shots into the air. President Nicolas Maduro accuses the 59-year-old mayor of being behind a coup, which he says also involved military aviation officers. "On the orders of state prosecutors, [Mayor Ledezma] was captured and will be processed by the Venezuelan justice system for crimes committed against the peace of the country," Maduro said. The president said the plan was financed and directed by Washington. A State Department spokesman on Thursday called the accusations "baseless and false." President Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, have spoken routinely of U.S.-backed coup attempts, but have provided no evidence to support these claims. The arrest of Ledezma comes almost exactly a year after opposition protests spread throughout Venezuela, leading to clashes between demonstrators and police, killing dozens of people. Ledezma had participated in those protests. The veteran opposition leader's wife, Mitzy Capriles, said she does not know where Ledezma is or if he has been charged with a crime. "He was abruptly taken away from his office. [Police] prevented all means of communicating [with him]. They confiscated the car and motorcycle keys. There is no way of knowing how Antonio is doing," she said. Opposition leaders denounced the arrest as an attack on democracy. Small protests in support of Ledezma were seen outside the country's intelligence service on Thursday. No clashes were reported. Ledezma was elected twice as mayor of Caracas, most recently in 2013. His powers have steadily been restricted by the federal government. President Maduro, who was elected in 2013 following the death of Chavez, has faced several challenges, not only from the protests, but also declining popularity ratings and a shrinking economy.



from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1AbX4U7