Three Air Force Generals Accused of Planning a Coup d’état

During the reception meeting of the UNASUR Foreign Ministers at Miraflores Palace, President Maduro informed that three Air Force generals have been arrested for, according to the Agencia Venezolana de Noticias (AVN), “attempting to raise the Air Force and destabilizing the country by generating chaos in the public sectors.” Also according to the AVN press note, the three unidentified generals “had links to with the Venezuelan ultra-right.”

“Last night we captured three generals that had been under investigation, thanks to the powerful morale of our Bolivarian Armed Forces. (…) How did we discover this coup attempt? Because of the conscience of our officials, the youngest ones: generals, lieutenant coronels, they came with the alarm to denounce that they were being called for a coup d’état. This group that we have captured has direct links with sectors of the opposition and they [the opposition] were saying that the week starting yesterday would be ‘decisive.’ They are always doing that, it is a psychological warfare among themselves. They were going to create chaos in the [public] services, they were going to [produce] a blackout throughout Venezuela, and generate a situation. They believe that Venezuela has no means of defending itself and that we are still living in the era of the coups,” explained Maduro.

Update: According to Patricia Poleo (@PattiPoleo) the names of the three generals arrested are: Oswaldo Hernández Sánchez (División), Millan Yaguarapato, y Machillanda Diaz. 

Update: Details in Últimas Noticias:

Machillanda Díaz estaba adscrito al cuartel general de la Comandancia General de la Aviación ubicada enLa Carlota. De allí fue transferido a la Región de Defensa Integral (REDI) Los Llanos. 

Hernández Sánchez fue viceministro de Educación para la Defensa y antes estuvo como comandante de laBase Área José Antonio Páez. Se dice que este general de división era el jefe del grupo que intentó dar el golpe. 

Millán Yaguaracuto estaba en una dependencia del Comando Estratégico Operacional de la Fuerza Armada (Ceofanb), reveló la fuente.