委内瑞拉军队挫败叛变军人领导的袭击

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.

委内瑞拉总统马杜罗星期天说，他的委内瑞拉政府军挫败了一起由叛变的前军官指挥的对一个军营发动的短暂袭击。

马杜罗称，袭击是美国和哥伦比亚资助的恐怖行径，但他在星期天晚间的电视节目上没有提供这一说法的证据。

袭击星期天凌晨发生在委内瑞拉中部城市瓦伦西亚附近的一个军营。至少有两名闯入军营的人被打死，政府军完全压制住了反叛人员。

马杜罗和其他委内瑞拉官员说，约20人参与了对军营的袭击。

其中10人在委内瑞拉政府军赶来前逃离，其中有人搬走了一些军火。剩余人员与政府军发生了交火，直到上午8点。他们不是被抓就是被击毙。

马杜罗说，对逃离人员的追捕正在进行之中。

马杜罗在电视上说：“这是一起针对武装部队的袭击。”他称赞军队的反应“团结、果断”。

一名自称是胡安·卡瓜里帕诺的上尉的军官在社交媒体上发布的视频中被十多名身着军装的人簇拥着，显然是叛变者。他声称，自己是对马杜罗这个“凶残暴君”发动“合法反抗”。

卡瓜里帕诺说：“我们澄清，这不是一场政变。这是平民和军人为恢复宪法秩序，而且是为了拯救国家免于遭到全面毁灭所采取的行动。”据说，他是一名军队叛变者，有“右翼极端主义者”的支持。

瓦伦西亚一些居民举行了示威活动，对袭击军营的人员表示支持，后来被警察驱散。

四个月的反政府示威活动造成120多名委内瑞拉人丧生。上星期，马杜罗让一个极不受欢迎的制宪大会宣誓就职，使该国的社会和政治混乱局面进一步加剧。制宪大会已经采取了一项重大行动，将委内瑞拉总检察长奥特加解职。奥特加曾经是马杜罗的盟友，后来高调反对马杜罗。