Three Americans, two Spaniards held over alleged plot to 'destabilize' Venezuela

Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen have been detained in Venezuela on suspicion of plotting to destabilize the country, the government said, as the United States and Spain denied Caracas's allegations they were involved.

The arrests come amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and both the United States and Spain over Venezuela's disputed July 28 presidential election, which the country's opposition accuses President Nicolas Maduro of stealing.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Saturday the foreign nationals were being held on suspicion of planning an attack on Maduro and his government.

"We know that the United States government has links to this operation," Cabello asserted.

Cabello said two Spaniards were recently detained in Puerto Ayacucho in the southwest.

He added that three Americans and a Czech national were also arrested and linked the alleged plot to intelligence agencies in the United States and Spain, as well as to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

Maduro has heaped blame for the tide of adversity his country faces on the "imperialist" United States, which he accuses of conspiring with his Venezuelan opponents to overthrow him.

A State Department spokesperson said Saturday that "any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false."

The State Department spokesperson additionally confirmed that a US military member was being held and noted "unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained in Venezuela."

Spain also rejected allegations it was involved.

"Spain denies and categorically rejects any insinuation that it is involved in a political destabilization operation in Venezuela," a foreign ministry source told AFP Sunday.

Cabello said those detained had "contacted French mercenaries, they contacted mercenaries from Eastern Europe and they are in an operation to try to attack our country."

He added that "more than 400 rifles were seized" and accused the detainees of plotting "terrorist acts."

The Czech Republic has yet to react to the sensational claims, which come amid a deepening standoff between Maduro and Western powers.

- Maduro's 'dictatorship' -

Maduro, who succeeded iconic left-wing leader Hugo Chavez on his death in 2013, insists he won a third term but failed to release detailed voting tallies to back his claim.

Tensions between Caracas and former colonial power Spain rose sharply after Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, 75, went into exile in Spain a week ago, after being threatened with arrest.

Caracas on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Madrid for consultations and summoned Spain's envoy to Venezuela for talks after a Spanish minister accused Maduro of running a "dictatorship."

Venezuela was also angered by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's decision to meet with Gonzalez Urrutia and warned Spain against any "interference" in its affairs.

Caracas has additionally been engaged in a war of words with the United States, which recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of the election.

Washington announced new sanctions on Thursday against 16 Venezuelan officials, including some from the electoral authority, for impeding "a transparent electoral process" and not publishing accurate results.

Venezuela denounced the measures as a "crime of aggression" and Maduro decorated four military officers among those targeted by the sanctions.

Maduro's claim to have won a third term in office sparked mass opposition protests, which claimed at least 27 lives and left 192 people wounded.

The opposition published polling station-level results that it said showed Gonzalez Urrutia winning by a landslide.

About 2,400 people, including numerous teens, were arrested in the unrest.

Opposition leader Machado called Saturday for more protests on September 28, two months since the election, to demand international recognition for Gonzalez Urrutia as president.

Maduro also claimed victory amid widespread accusations of fraud after Venezuela's previous election in 2018.

With the support of the military and other institutions, he managed to cling to power despite international sanctions.

Maduro's tenure since 2013 has seen GDP drop 80 percent in a decade, prompting more than seven million of the country's 30 million citizens to emigrate.