Caracas (CNN)— Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Saturday an unspecified number of Americans were arrested "a few days ago" for engaging
in espionage and recruitment activities.
The President said they included an
American pilot of Latin American origin, arrested in the southwest border state of Táchira.
He said the pilot was found in
possession of "all kinds of documents" and was being interrogated by the authorities, though he did not identify
him. The Venezuelan go
vernment has made many similar claims in recent years, without ever substantiating them.
Maduro also announced Saturday a
series of measures, including visa
requirements for U.S. citizens and the downsizing of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, to counteract what he called U.S. "interference" in his country.
Venezuela has in recent weeks accused the United States of being behind an alleged coup plot.
Speaking at an "anti-imperialist" rally in the capital, Maduro said visas would now be required for all U.S. visitors and that the U.S. Embassy in Caracas would
now need foreign ministry approval for any meetings. The Embassy, which he said had more than 100 staff, is to be reduced to a number closer to the 17 Venezuelan diplomats based in Washington.
Moreover, a group of prominent U.S.
officials, current and retired, will be
banned from entering Venezuela
because of what Maduro said was their involvement in "bombing Iraq, Syria and Vietnam" and other "terrorist" actions.
The officials include George W. Bush,
former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, former CIA Director George Tenet and several current members of Congress, including Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Bob Menendez and Mario Diaz-Balart.
Following the Maduro's announcement Diaz-Balart reacted via Twitter, saying he has "always wanted to travel to a corrupt country that is not a free
democracy. And now Castro's lap dog
won't let me!" The move comes after the U.S. government last month approved a law under which Venezuelan officials allegedly involved in human rights
violations are to have their visas
revoked and their U.S. assets frozen.
A relatively small, but noisy crowd,
dressed mostly in revolutionary red,
applauded and cheered the measures announced by the President from a platform outside the presidential palace in downtown Caracas.
in espionage and recruitment activities.
The President said they included an
American pilot of Latin American origin, arrested in the southwest border state of Táchira.
He said the pilot was found in
possession of "all kinds of documents" and was being interrogated by the authorities, though he did not identify
him. The Venezuelan go
vernment has made many similar claims in recent years, without ever substantiating them.
Maduro also announced Saturday a
series of measures, including visa
requirements for U.S. citizens and the downsizing of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, to counteract what he called U.S. "interference" in his country.
Venezuela has in recent weeks accused the United States of being behind an alleged coup plot.
Speaking at an "anti-imperialist" rally in the capital, Maduro said visas would now be required for all U.S. visitors and that the U.S. Embassy in Caracas would
now need foreign ministry approval for any meetings. The Embassy, which he said had more than 100 staff, is to be reduced to a number closer to the 17 Venezuelan diplomats based in Washington.
Moreover, a group of prominent U.S.
officials, current and retired, will be
banned from entering Venezuela
because of what Maduro said was their involvement in "bombing Iraq, Syria and Vietnam" and other "terrorist" actions.
The officials include George W. Bush,
former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, former CIA Director George Tenet and several current members of Congress, including Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Bob Menendez and Mario Diaz-Balart.
Following the Maduro's announcement Diaz-Balart reacted via Twitter, saying he has "always wanted to travel to a corrupt country that is not a free
democracy. And now Castro's lap dog
won't let me!" The move comes after the U.S. government last month approved a law under which Venezuelan officials allegedly involved in human rights
violations are to have their visas
revoked and their U.S. assets frozen.
A relatively small, but noisy crowd,
dressed mostly in revolutionary red,
applauded and cheered the measures announced by the President from a platform outside the presidential palace in downtown Caracas.
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