Venezuela detains Spanish, US and Czech citizens over ‘destabilisation’

Arrests come amid surge in tensions between Caracas and Western nations over disputed Venezuelan election results.

Venezuela has detained three United States citizens, two Spaniards and a Czech national over an alleged plot to destabilise the South American nation, a senior government official said.

Venezuelan Minister of Interior Diosdado Cabello said on Saturday that the six were held on suspicion of planning an attack against President Nicolas Maduro and his government.

The arrests come as tensions have skyrocketed in recent weeks between Venezuela and the US, Spain and other Western nations over a disputed Venezuelan election held in late July.

Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, was declared the winner of the vote, but the country’s opposition has said the contest was marred by fraud and that its candidate had defeated the longtime president.

The election results spurred massive opposition protests, leaving more than two dozen people dead and nearly 200 injured.