Diosdado Cabello attacks Gustavo Petro for asking for freedom as a political prisoner: this is what he said

He Minister of Internal Affairs of VenezuelaDiosdado Cabello, referred to President Gustavo Petro after the Colombian president demanded from his X account the freedom of two political prisoners in the neighboring country.

Gustavo Petro mentioned that he will not go to the possession of Nicolas Maduro because, “just like our friend Enrique Márquez, a prominent Venezuelan progressive, Carlos Correa, a prominent human rights defender in Venezuela, has been arrested.”

Nicolás Maduro’s right-hand man thus responded to the message published in .

(Read also: Who are the political prisoners that Petro mentioned when he announced that he will not go to Maduro’s possession?)

What did Diosdado Cabello say about Petro?

“The one who was in charge of that is called Enrique Márquez, part of the coup d’état that they want to carry out in Venezuela. There are no angels here, and even less in the opposition, for those who are defending him, did you hear, (Gustavo) Petro? Defend him , (…). He may be your friend, but he is a criminal,” said Diosdado Cabello.

Cabello confirmed the arrest of former opposition presidential candidate Enrique Márquez – a day after NGOs and political parties denounced his arrest – and accused him of allegedly planning a “coup d’état” for January 10, the day of the inauguration.

What is Enrique Márquez blamed for?

Diosdado Cabello said that Márquez, according to a 21-page document allegedly found on his computer, had proposed holding the swearing-in ceremony of the leader of the largest opposition coalition, Edmundo González Urrutia – who claims victory in the July elections -, in a Venezuelan embassy abroad.

“Since the gentleman cannot come here, or does not want to come here, five criminals are going to meet at the headquarters of a foreign embassy,” said Cabello, who indicated that the diplomatic headquarters of the Caribbean country in USA and in Peruwith which Caracas has no relations, were taken by the governments of these countries.

According to the document read by Cabello during the broadcast of his weekly program on the state channel VTV, the proposal consisted of “swearing in before an assembly of Venezuelan citizens” González Urrutia as president for the period 2025-2031, in “a diplomatic headquarters of the Republic of Venezuela, as an inalienable extension of the sovereignty of the republic abroad.”

On the other hand, Cabello linked Márquez with an official of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who, according to national authorities, was detained on Tuesday in Venezuela along with six other foreigners, whom the Maduro Executive points out. as “mercenaries”, among them also a US soldier, two Colombians and three Ukrainians.

(Read also: Venezuela will distribute “wanted” posters against Andrés Pastrana and other former presidents)

Márquez’s wife, Sonia Lugo, reported this Wednesday that he was detained on Tuesday morning by “parapolice groups” who, using “force as law,” intend to “shush and intimidate” those who want a “better country” and have a “different vision.”

Márquez, also former vice president of National Electoral Council (CNE) and former deputy, demanded on numerous occasions the publication of the minutes of the July votes, and rejected the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) that validated the controversial re-election of Maduro proclaimed by the electoral body, which did not publish the broken down result that proves no triumph, as established by its own schedule.