Maduro: Spain beware!

President Maduro again accused the Spanish president Mariano Rajoy and his government of plotting to overthrow the Venezuelan government.

“I will make the Spanish elite respect the Venezuelan people. Mr. Rajoy wants to disown the Venezuelan constitution, every day he attacks the dignity of the Venezuelan people. The conspiracy [against the Venezuelan government] is financed and supported logistically from Spain. The Spanish elites are supporting terrorism in our Nation,” said Maduro.

“Mr. Rajoy is behind the [recent] coup d’état attempt against the legitimate government which I preside. Spain is not guilty of the fact that Rajoy is behind a plot [conjura] to overthrow the Revolution, such as José María Aznar was in the year 2002: Aznar was the only president in Europe to recognize the government of Carmona,” added Maduro in reference to the coup of 2002 which briefly deposed president Chávez.

Maduro also accused Rajoy of racisms and sent him a threatening message: “Rajoy, it is not too late for you to rectify. I am sending you this message: Either your government rectifies on time or the answer from our Bolivarian government will conclusive, overwhelming; in the field of politics, of diplomacy, I swear! The corrupt elite that are governing Spain will have to learn to respect Venezuela and the patriots of this land.”

Maduro is upset by the support the government of Mariano Rajoy has shown for the imprisoned opposition leaders Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma, and by offer of Spain’s ex-president Felipe González to act as consultant for the defense of the leaders. González has been declared persona non grata by the Venezuelan Government. Spain’s congress also recently approved a text calling for the immediate liberation of López and Ledezma.

Today the Spanish government has recalled its ambassador in Caracas.